Kamalnayan Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation in Wardha district of Maharashtra, India has extended training, seed and monitoring support to 7000 farmers since 2013 The most crucial step was to develop direct consumer linkages and profitable market linkages for the farmers covered. The focused efforts were made to develop forward linkages at district, block as well as village level to fulfil the objective.
Every year we used to organize Grain Festival at Wardha town for developing direct consumer linkages for the farmers practicing natural farming. This year the event could not be organized due to COVID - 19 restrictions. The positive signs that we could notice this year are quite encouraging. The consumers directly contacted farmers participated every year in the Grain Festival for purchase of grains and pulses and other processed products. The team of Bajaj Foundation facilitated decentralized cleaning, grading and transportation processes. They also intervened in deciding marketing rates. The farmers supplied the demand at door steps during locked down situations.
The efforts resulted in strengthening direct consumer linkages for 4344 farmers. They sold 19 varieties of agriculture produce and recorded total business of Rs.4.75 Cr. Besides seed of amount Rs.18 .50 lakh has been exchanged by Bajaj Foundation among the farmers to resolve the seed availability issues.
Market for perishable commodity that is vegetables and fruits has been established for farmers by arranging mobile vegetable selling vehicle The people have been convinced for purchase of poison free vegetables.
Such kind of efforts need to replicated with the support of Gram Panchayat or village institutions to overcome the impact of COVID - 19 outbreak on food value chains.
Sonali Phate