The countless men and women who toil in their fields and farms to feed our nation are often themselves the victims of low incomes, illiteracy and exploitation. A majority of Indian farmers are still completely vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather and soil conditions, often deprived of a fair price at the markets and steeped in debt. The consequences can be malnutrition and a lack of education among their children.

 

Sparsh has chosen to form farmers’ collectives that provide a steady stream of crucial information about the latest technical developments to the farmers. We have formed farmers’ clubs where they receive information on topics like multi-cropping, solar irrigation, the impact of climate change and its mitigation and more. They are trained in modern farming methods that raise the yield per acre of their land holdings and increase their incomes.

 

We provide support by way of better seeds and fertilisers and promote animal husbandry and the rearing of livestock. Marketing avenues have been enhanced and the farmers are assisted to access Government schemes and support.

 

In Rayagada, Orissa, the age-old practice of a weekly village haat has been scaled up substantially. A permanent haat has been built, spread over 1.39 acres, with 120 stalls, an office building, a training hall and two warehouses with a collective storage capacity of 700 tonnes. With electricity, water and sanitation facilities. Agricultural and forest producers from neighbouring areas bring their fresh produce here and find a ready market. Distress sales have been reduced substantially. Farmers’ incomes have seen an upswing and consumers benefit by buying directly from the farmers. Eliminating the middleman ensures that prices do not go up at every stage of the transaction. This mega haat has been co-funded by NABARD, JK Paper Ltd., Sparsh Social Foundation and the Odisha Government.