Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Integrated initiative led by the Jharkhand government with 70 per cent funding support from IBRD aims to boost agricultural incomes and livelihoods
The Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) project, an integrated livelihood initiative led by the Government of Jharkhand, has emerged as a transformative force for rural communities in the state. With 70 per cent credit assistance from the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and 30 per cent direct contribution from the state government, the project was implemented by Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) under the Department of Rural Development.
At its conclusion in June 2024, JOHAR had achieved a 98 per cent utilisation of its Rs 833.34 crore budget, directly impacting approximately 2.25 lakh rural women producer households across 68 blocks in 17 districts, excluding Garhwa, Chatra, Koderma, Jamtara, Deoghar, Godda, and Sahebganj.
JOHAR was designed to enhance and diversify household incomes across select farm and allied sectors, with targets including a 30 per cent rise in real average annual income and a 30 per cent increase in income from core livelihood sources. Among its beneficiaries, one lakh belonged to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, while 70,000 were women. Over two lakh farmers received agricultural assets or services through the initiative.
The project mobilised smallholder and tribal producers into 3,922 Producer Groups (PGs), engaging over 2.24 lakh households in high-value agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and non-timber forest produce (NTFP). Producer Groups were later federated into 21 functional Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), which established 35 Rural Business Hubs and 28 Livestock Service Centres, generating monthly revenues of Rs 2 crore. Cumulatively, these FPOs conducted business worth Rs 205 crore, with 90 per cent rated viable by a World Bank assessment. Around Rs 14 crore was raised as share capital, and 13 FPOs were credit-linked for Rs 3.5 crore in working capital, leveraging digital transactions for operations.
To support mechanisation, Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) were rolled out in 39 blocks under an innovative radio-taxi/library model, completing 14,000 orders and generating Rs 1.4 crore in business. To improve irrigation, 1,180 Solar Lift Irrigation schemes were initiated, with 1,131 completed, irrigating 6,648 hectares. An additional 1,309 portable solar irrigation units were distributed, covering 2,618 hectares, and Water User Groups collected Rs 48 lakh for system sustainability.
In horticulture, 554 polyhouse nurseries promoted soil-less seedling production, delivering 2.5 crore seedlings. Over 16,775 community cadres were trained and deployed, forming a skilled grassroots network. In fisheries, 8,729 water bodies were developed, and 17 Reservoir Pen Culture (RPC) units were established. Notably, the project piloted layer farming in Gumla and Bokaro, producing up to one lakh eggs daily, and introduced commercial broiler farming with a 2.5 lakh birds per cycle capacity.
The NTFP component supported 48,401 households across 51 blocks, generating Rs15 crore through lac cultivation. An additional 2,632 acres of fallow upland were cultivated with lemongrass, involving 16,000 households and generating Rs 10.4 crore in business. The project also piloted initiatives such as mango branding, value-added tamarind products, and the use of modern farm machinery, including rice transplanters.
Through value chain development, market linkages, climate-resilient farming practices, and access to finance, JOHAR has not only enhanced rural incomes but also laid the groundwork for long-term agricultural transformation. It stands as a model for integrated, inclusive development—combining institutional support, community participation, and private sector collaboration to unlock the potential of rural Jharkhand.
