Women Farmer Producer Companies transforming the face of Agriculture in Maharashtra.....

Women Farmer Producer Companies transforming the face of Agriculture in Maharashtra.....

Online is the new mantra, screen fatigue or no, we all are head over heels into it. So over the last two months MSRLM has undertaken reviews, conducted online trainings and workshops and even held interactive sessions.
Last week we had organized an online discussion with women Farmer Producer Companies established by MSRLM Umed.
In a world of agriculture and marketing which is still dominated by men, MSRLM Umed has established 15 Women Farmer Producer Companies across Maharashtra.
The overall objective of MSRLM is creation of community based organizations and empowering them through sustainable ilivelihoods. Now that it has created more than 4.5 lakh self help groups and over 8000 producer groups as well as over 8000 enterprises venturing into Farmer Prodcer Companies was the next logical step.
The self help groups had proved themselves by engaging in small businesses however setting up a Farmer Producer Company with legal compliances was an altogether different ball game.
Firstly it needed a sizeable number of women to come together with a willingness to invest in share capital and secondly it needed a lot of statutory and legal compliances.
Our task was made easy by our technical support agency, BASIX. To a large extent the partnership with UNDP and Arya Collateral helped as they contributed in creating groups and training them as Women Sourcing Managers.
As with the general policy of NRLM the first step was capacity building in all aspects from effective cultivation to collectivization as well as study of the markets to ensure good price for their products. It may have been an uphill task but the efforts bore fruits. Today fifteen FPCs have been formed by women entrepreneurs in the remotest districts of Maharashtra including tribal belts. These are in the districts of Gadchiroli, Gondia , Chandrapur, Wardha, Yavatmal in Vidarbha, Palghar in Konkan, Nandurbar in Northern Maharashtra and in drought prone areas of Marathwada like Beed, Jalna and also Solapur from Western Maharashta.
It was heartening to see the progress made by the FPCs in the last two years. Today each FPC had an average annual turnover between Rs.1.50 to Rs.2.50 Crores in which major focus was given on trading activities and collective procurement of seeds and fertilizers .FPCs like Navi Umed from Wardha, Kalamb and Jivonnati FPCs from Yavattmal ,Girija self reliant company from Gondia and Yashwanti FPO from Palghar stand out in their performance.
Interestingly Eco Van FPO from Gadchiroli is engaged in value addition services. They are procuring Custard Apple and Indian Blackberries (Jaamun) and marketing the pulp. Their tasty Custard Apple milkshakes and Jaamun Shots were the talk of the town at the Mahalakshmi Saras in Mumbai. This year too they have procured two tonnes of Jaamun for pulp extraction and syrup preparation. Jaamun is of great support to diabetic persons hence it has a huge demand. These fruits being seasonal such value additions make it available throughout the year.
The FPCs have been active even during the Covid 19 crisis lockdown. Vardaini FPO of Barshi block in Solapur district is engaged in trading of vegetables and fruits during lockdown. They even used the vehicles provided by the NRLM program under AGEY scheme. This activity helped the farmers to market their perishable goods. They also put back on track the supply chain which was disrupted due to lockdown. They also seized the excellent business opportunity whether it was marketing eggs or other products. The FPC not only has input licences but also have dealership of Tech Mahindra for irrigation equipment. They are not only selling Drip and Sprinklers but supplying quality pipeline materials with marginal costs.
Yashwanti FPO of Palghar is one of the best examples for implementing different activities under one roof . The members are engaged in doing trading of Paddy, Procurement of Paddy seeds and fertilizers . They have established Nursery of different vegetables in low cost shade net house and supply them to the members with optimum price. Cultivation and marketing of Jasmine flowers has given them great repute. Activities like drip irrigation, sprinkler dealership, trading of grocery etc have given them a turn over of more than Rs.1 Crore.
Girija, self reliant company at Gondia is also performing well by undertaking different activities like trading , catering, procurement of seeds and fertilizers , grocery trading ,fish feed supply which has increased turn over of the FPO up to Rs.84 lakh during last year and this year collective procurement of seeds and fertilizers has already crossed Rs.74 lakh. They have also opened outlets for sale of organic fertilizers, Paddy, Tur etc.
All these FPOs have understood that completing egal compliances is a must and adhere to it.
FPCs have great opportunities in years to come and with proper planning there is scope to improve their performance. Timely distribution of dividends could also pave the path.
However the biggest takeaway in the online meeting was the confidence and the active participation of the Women from the Board of Directors. This indicates increased livelihoods along with the goal of Women Empowerment.
And all this has been possible thanks to the grit and determination of the SHGs of MSRLM. Kudos to the gutsy women who dared to make inroads into the world of FPCs. May their tribe grow ...

कुशल मंगल...

कुशल मंगल...

धूसर सा आसमान
धुंदली सी आँखें
समंदर का संबल
मन मेँ पर तूफ़ान
सुदूर मंज़िल
भेदी हाक़िम
विवश एकांत
फिर अचानक
मन की पुकार
सुनो रखो
संयम संतुलन
वक़्त गुज़रेगा
सुलझेगा कल
बस थोड़ा संभल
थोड़ा और संभल
किसे मिली हैं
आसानी से मंज़िल
संकल्प से सिद्धि
पर रहो अटल
अंत में होगा
सब कुशल मंगल

मन विमल 

Being healthy, happy and positive with Yoga....

Being healthy, happy and positive with Yoga....

Yoga brings forth images of individuals perfoming asanas, exuding peace. In recent times yoga has almost become synonymous with Baba Ramdev so much so that the name Patanjali is assocaited with his brand of products. However historically Patanjali was a great sage in ancient India who formalized yoga through his famous book, "Yoga Sutra".
The opening prayer or invocation in any yoga class is a famous shloka dedicated to him.

"योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां ।
मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन ॥
योऽपाकरोत्तमं प्रवरं मुनीनां ।
पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि ॥|" 

 The first part of the shloka is a tribute to Patanjali's achievements as the founding father of yoga, grammar and ayurvedic medicine. The second part salutes him for carryinng the conch, which sounds the vibrations of the Universe and also awakens us to the victory of mind over matter.
Yoga therefore is not only a physical practice but also mental and spiritual system which helps us in maintaining physical and mental health. The seals of Indus valley civilization reflect it's prevalence since ancient times.

  It was Swami Vivekanda who introduced Yoga to the west. Howver it became more popular since 1980.
The most common yoga technics are Surya Namaskar, Asanas-yogic postures, Pranayam - breathing technics and meditation. My first brush with yoga was years ago when my brother on his visits from BHU- IT showed me a few asanas. Very typically, I gave up on it quite soon. I had the good fortune of being a student of the University of Pune and got the opportunity of learning yoga at the renowned institute of the revered yoga guru B.K.S.Iyengar but that too did not last.
My third brush with yoga was three years ago at LBSNAA where i had gone for my IAS training. Our daily routine began with physical training and I had opted for Yoga. In between streching and breathing I learnt the art of being happy, healthy and positive. Those asanas and breathing techniques are a part of my daily routine now.
I have discovered that yoga has helped me in maintaining my health and improving my immunity. And why not, for it is said that the subtle pressure infused by the asanas on our glands balances the secretion of hormones thereby bringing about equilibrium and mental peace. The practice of these asanas keeps our bodies healthy, flexible and strong. Our nervous system is revitalised and our immunity receives a boost. The movements of yoga maybe gentle but they certainly provide benefits similar to those of rigorous exercises stimulating our blood circulation and increasing our supply of oxygen. This is certainly an added benefit during the Covid 19 pandemic . As rightly said by Shri.B.K.S Iyengar one of the foremost yoga teachers "Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.” 
Yoga has therefore been one of the most valuable gifts given to civilization by ancient India. We very often ignore the richness of our culture and heritage and give it due importance only when it gets recognized and followed internationally. This is true with Yoga also.
Till the time the United Nations declared
21st June as International Yoga Day it was never at the forefront. Now that it has been recognized internationally efforts are being made to acknowledge and uphold its significance in our day to day lives.
No doubts yoga holds the secrets to the transformation of our lives as complete individuals. We therefore have to spread it's awareness and focus on ensuring its roots are preserved for posterity. Let's inhale and exhale, breathe in, breathe out and say, I am healthy, happy and positive.....

ममत्व का मान ...A verse on Vishnu's 15th birthday

ममत्व का मान ....

तुम पंद्रह के हो आज....
लगता हैँ कल की बात थी
जब हुआ था तुम्हारा जन्म
जी उठी थी मै
पुलकित हुआ था मन
ना पूजा प्रार्थना या उपासना
यूं हुआ तुम्हारा आगमन
नियति ने समझा जैसे
मेरे मन का रुदन
मूक भावों को मिले हो शब्द
सूनी गोद को सुकून
स्मित हास्य से तुम्हारी
खिल उठा रोम रोम
मेरी बाहों को भर देता
तुम्हारा स्नेह भरा आलिंगन
जगा देता आत्मविश्वास
तुम्हारा सहज़ समर्पण
न्यारी बातें तुम्हारी
उत्साहित करती मुझे
अकेले सफर में जैसे
अंतरंग मित्र प्रसन्न
ईश्वरीय वरदान या
ईशवर की छवी तुम
पूर्ण कर दिया मेरे जीवन को
देकर ममत्व का मान ...

मन विमल

SHG women during Covid : A gender perspective

SHG women during Covid : A gender perspective

Paapad, pickles and masala are synonymous with SHGs so much that most people imagine that women from self help groups are capable of doing just that. My initial dismay at this typecast image got transformed when I accepted two facts. One, that they if they didint do it our lives would certainly be spiceless. Secondly it was important to put forth the numerous things that they were doing.
If you observe closely women from SHGs are farmers, floriculturists , small ruminant rearers and breeders, poultry farners, food processors,, entrepreneurs and much more. In fact 80 percent of the agricultural operations are done by women.
Today MSRLM holds it's head high with 4.5 lakh SHGs, 50 lakh households associated with it. It has created 5 lakh women farners, over 8000 enterprises, more than 8000 producer groups and 15 Farmer Producer Organizations.
Women have received loans of over Rs 7700 crores from banks. They have created more than 15 lakh livelihoods harnessing capital gains of over Rs. 1200 crores.
Our heart's swell with pride when we see them efficiently managing their businesses and their confidence when they speak. The 60,000 community cadre of Wardhinis, ICRP, Krishi Sakhi, Pashu Sakhi, Bank Sakhi, BC Sakhi, Matsya sakhis are leading the community in various activities of agriculture , animal husbandry, organic farming, nutri gardens, food processing, art and craft
The real spirit of individuals reflects in adversities and this proved true for our SHGs specially in the Covid crisis.
Government of Maharashtra took the bold step of declaring the two days lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid 19 on 19th & 20th March 2020. The central Government declared Janata Curfew on 22nd March 2020 and lockdown from 25th March 2020.
This disrupted the supply chain of all agricultural commodities. People living in urban, suburban and metro cities could not get their regular supply of vegetables, fruits and grains. At the same time transportation was affected and the perishable goods of farmers became a cause for worry. They were unable to transport their fruits, vegetables and other goods for sale. It was important to liquidate their production and ensure their sale on priority within the given time frame.
The constraints of the lockdown may have lessened the demand for these commodities but the production was high. This resulted in great damage of vegetable and fruits. It is beleived that in the first 2 days almost 70 % of the vegetables and fruits were damaged.
The government soon came up with guidelines on transportation of essential commodities during lockdown. However auction was not allowed in mandis in urban and suburban areas to avoid crowding.
Rural SHG women had already risen to the occasion by providing counselling services, producing face masks and actively participating in food security management.
They now stood firmly without fearing Covid 19 and started direct selling of fruits, vegetables and grains. They either sold their own products or purchased them from farmers and sold them in the local markets, in near by villages and in cities. They also started supplying vegetables, fruits and grains door to door to houses by maintaining physical distance. The revolving fund and community investment fund provided by MSRLM came to their rescue to raise funds for their working capital.
MSRLM Umed team motivated these women and facilitated supply chain for Vegetables and fruits. The SHGs as well as the farmers could get much better price for their produce. This also reduced the losses from 70 % to 10 %. The urban residents recieved fresh vegetables and fruits at an affordable price right in their homes
Over 16,000 SHGs including 48,415 Women members participated in the supply chain management and are earning through this activity. Over a thousand outlets have been opened for sale during Covid 19.
As for the groups they have sold over 1300 metric tons of vegetables, 4800 metric tonnes of fruit like Water melon ,Musk melon ,Mango, Sapota,Pomogranate, Banana, 2800 metric tonnes of food grains like Wheat, Jowar,Bajra,Rice, Nagli, Turdal,Chana dal,Uraddal, Moong dal and Groundnut which were sold in local market as well as in distant areas. In all women have sold 20,813 MT of all commodities with a turn over of Rs. 20.43 crores
Their magnanimty and charity was evident in Nanded district where SHG women donated vegetables to the Langar run by Huzursahib Gurudwara where 50000 people have free lunch daily.
In Gondia and Satara districts SHG women supplied lunch to bankers, hospitals and other government Institutions as the hotels and restaurants were closed.
The Krishi Sakhis are facilitating collective procurement of seeds and manure all over Maharashtra. In Washim and Buldhana districts they have become the channel for distribution of seeds and manure for the agriculture department. World bank aided projects like POCRA are training them in seed production, checking the quality of seeds , seed processing etc and also facilitating setting up of units through loan and subsidy.
The journey from pickles, papad and masala to becoming producers and distributors of agricultural commodities has not been easy. Till date only 16 percent of the women in India have their names on the land records. In the absence of land ownership, women are deprived from accessing institutional credit, extension services and other government entitlements including relief measures.
The National Policy for Farmers, 2007 had recommended a broader definition of a farmer, including labourers, tenants and other workers, but the government’s definition is based on ownership of land. A farmer's definition is still based on the land title records. Most schemes require the submission of land title record, limiting the beneficiary base to landowners, mostly men. Bankers also pay more attention to crop loans and other priority lending. As a result internal lending among SHG groups and microfinance remains the only funding option for women since they have no land or collaterals.
Hopefully World Bank projects like Nanasaheb Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Prakalp, POCRA and the upcoming Balasaheb Thackeray SMART project will lead to change with women being recognized as farmers and getting their due. Till then let us gorge on the papads and pickles not forgetting to work towards a truly equitable society. 

Nutri Champions and Convergence in MSRLM.....

Nutri Champions and Convergence in MSRLM.....

Hippocrates the father of medicine has said, ^Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. " This philosophy was largely neglected by many people as a result humans became more dependent on medicines than food. However times have changed and we have fully realised that even in this high-tech world, the low-tech plants are the key to nutrition and heath. Delightfully ,health, nutrition and sanitation is one of the cardinal principles which the self help groups of Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission practice. 
Three years back during the visit of the world bank team to the tribal district of Palghar in Maharashtra it was observed that though families were practicing sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry their diet was not wholesome. While going to their fields they carried nothing more than bhaakri or roti with pickle or chutney and their dinner would be limited to just daal and rice. Their diet was devoid of the five vital nutrients required by the human body for sustenance and well-being.
On the one hand they could not afford to buy vegetables and on the other they had to spend a lot of their income on healthcare facilities.
The propagation of the nutri garden model by MSRLM was an ideal solution to combat both the problems. 
Of course putting it into action required a lot of efforts beginning with awareness and also a change in mind set. This was made possible by our dedicated team specially the Community Training Consultants ( CTCs ) and the Community Resource persons ( CRPs). 
In times of Covid 19 too they stepped forward to spread awareness against the disease, encourage hand wash, use of face masks and social distancing. They also reached out to the vulnerable families by using the vulnerability reduction fund to distribute food grains and daily needs.
Perhaps for the first time the community also realised the value of nutri gardens promoted by the CTCs as also their counseling. This was evident during the experience sharing by five CTCs during our recent online conference.
Vaishnavi Kiran More, CTC from Chiplun in Ratnagiri emphasized how nutri gardens have transformed their lives as they consume 15 to 20 varieties of green and leafy vegetables and have also earned an income from selling them. It is a matter of great pride that her customer list includes members of the Panchayat Samiti and the Block Development Officer.
Manisha There from Pombhurna in Chandrapur ensured a regular supply of food grains in the community by supporting the most vulnerable through the Vulnerability Reduction Fund.
Sneha Dinesh Ghonmode from Karanja in Wardha had always dreamt of being an ideal teacher. This materialized when she became a CTC. She derives so much pleasure from her work as it has not only helped her to bond with the community but also come closer to it. Being in the village she was more accessible than the other service providers also her personal touch helped. Besides programmes like Mission Samriddhi helped them in procurement of good quality seeds. She encouraged smaller nutri gardens when one did not have space so that they could get at least 7 to 8 vegetables. She felt the nutri gardens have been a boon during Covid 19 when earnings were low and they could not buy vegetables. She also ensured that those coming from outside into their villages got quarantined. She facilitated the delivery of a pregnant woman through internal funding by arranging meetings of SHGs with social distancing.
Aparna Dnyaneshwar Deshmukh from Madha in Solapur ensured that vaccinations were administered to children during the pandemic and organized blood donation camps. She also encouraged vermi compost and nadep compost and facilitated sale of organic mangoes online. However her ingenuity was in making barfis- sweetmeats out of an excess harvest in beetoot which she marketed successfully emphasizing its nutritive value. She encouraged breast feeding and conduct of village nutrition day. She made innovative preparations like upma, laddoos, chaklis from the take home ration which people normally found insipid. She encouraged gifting of fruits instead of clothes. at baby showers
Archana Mane of Bhum in Osmanabad district said initially ladies were not willing to listen to her . The onset of Covid 19 made them realise that her efforts in propagating nutri gardens, menstrual hygeine, use of incinerators for handling menstrual waste .
The three years of dedication on the road to nutrition has thrown up many more surprises including the nutri enterprises with cookies made of Ragi, Jowar and Bajra, papaya jam, pomegranate juice etc.
The energtic narratives by the CTCs reinforced the fact that nutri gardens stand out as model where the approach has been from bottom–to–top making it acceptable and more viable.
Nutri-Gardens have currently been developed by our 1111 trained cadre  in more than 10000 villages, across 301 blocks covering 27 districts with 242 Block level demonstration plots , 4856 Community Nutri gardens and 55865 Individual Nutri Gardens. 
This program is an exemplary model of community-driven and demand driven service created by MSRLM and has been of great help in transforming lives.