Sunday, June 12, 2011

collective marketing through federations in Uttarkashi

One of the main achievement of project this year was collective marketing of agricultural crops through federations. The farmers of Saptarshi Swayatt Sahakarita in District Uttarkashi have been growing pea in large quantities but they were not getting the desired benefits of their crop whereas middlemen were taking undue advantage of their produce. In order to mitigate their marketing and other problems, ULIPH took an initiative in Gadoli-Gangtari Cluster of Saptrishi Swayatt Sahkarita in 2010. Approximately 300 pea producers from the project area and approximately 100 producers from outside the project area were associated with this initiative and the capacity building of all the pea farmers was done. ULIPH personnel helped them formulate ways and means for good cultivation. ULIPH also helped the federation set up five collection center in and around their cluster. Now weighing machines have also been installed in 2 aggregation centres: Pujeli and Gangtari. Following the installation of these weighing machines in the collection centers, federation members now find it very easy to weigh their produce and pack it in gunny bags. Negotiation were done with the Aartis at Dehradun and Chandigarh for marketing support. The entire produce is brought to Dehradun Mandi regularly at the rate of Rs 12 to 15/Kg. Interestingly the federation members receive the payment of their sale the same evening which was not the case earlier. Transparent MIS has been maintained for payment of Producers. According to federation members they have dispatched some eleven pea laden trucks to Niranjanpur Mandi till now. They are very happy that now they are the masters of their own destiny and mediators have no role to play in this whole affair.

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