Selling vegetables collectively
Smallholder women farmers from 23 villages of Gumla district in Jharkhand have taken to vegetable cultivation under a farmer producer company which was formed in June last year. This is giving them easy access to markets and agricultural inputs as well as ensuring fair prices for their produce.
Apart from Gumla, the initiation of a farmer producer company (FPO) was also carried out in Khunti district of the state, which is 33 km from state capital Ranchi. Both are tribal-dominated districts where farmers often do not get quality seeds and fertilizers. As a
result, they were collectivised and linked to the market. The initiative is being supported by Walmart with technical assistance from Pradan, a non-profit which works with India’s rural communities.