Empower Women Farmers in India

Season’s Greetings to you and your family.

We would like to thank you deeply for your continued support which has enabled us to keep supporting 3,500 farmers in India. Without your involvement, this would not be possible!

India is one of the largest exporters of lentils (dal), but it is an unfortunate truth that the cultivators of lentils live a life of drudgery. They seldom got profits for their produce and are often subjected to exploitation. However, when Seva Mandir’s lentils processing unit started a few years ago, the farmers are now able to draw returns from their labour and produce in a fair and sustainable way.

“I was on a verge of quitting farming for it only gave me loss… The dal mill gave farming a new vision” – A farmer in Medi village, Rajasthan

Sohan (name changed), a farmer from the Medi village, lives with his parents, wife and children in a small but proud house situated on their modestly sized land. The surrounding region is inhabited by tribal people living in extreme poverty, earning on average less than $0.35 a day. One of the main crops here is lentils, which is what Sohan and his family have grown for generations on a small piece of land.

Compared with many others in his community, Sohan managed his finances well and he always tried to invest in good quality seeds and regular irrigation. However, despite his best efforts, his hard work never paid off; his family income remained low as he had nowhere to store the crops safely, leaving them open to encroaching animals, and he had no means of transportation.

Every time he wanted to sell some of his harvest, Sohan had three choices; he could travel to the market using local transport, which raised his costs; he could walk across arduous and difficult terrain for several miles; or he could sell his lentils through middle-men, in which case he would not receive a fair price.

Over time, the financial position of his family worsened until some were forced to leave the village in search of daily-wage labour work in the far away towns and cities. But even this radical step didn’t protect them from hunger. 

Several years ago, the solution for his family's increasingly precarious situation came when Seva Mandir’ agriculture programme reached Sohan’s area. Sohan, along with 86 others from his community were given professional support and proper training to become co-owners of a dal mill. 

The principal aims of the project are to operate along ethical lines, guarantee proper storage for the harvests and ensure fair prices to the farmers by cutting out the middle-men. The farmers who are part of the cooperative are now able to control the process of dal making and selling, they are guaranteed a fair market price for their crops and they receive a share of any future profits.        

Thanks to the generosity of Seva Mandir's supporters who made this project possible, the economic situation of Sohan's family continues to improve. As one of the farmers participating in the dal mill cooperative, he is able to support his family and provide them with a decent standard of living. 

His initial contribution to the project was 100 rupees (£1.12 or $1.43). This investment, and the support of Seva Mandir in enabling the farmers to realise the scheme, has given Sohan the assurance that his efforts will bring him appropriate rewards. Indeed, with time he will be able to cultivate a little more of the land and further ensure that his large family's finances are stable. The future is now brighter for them all.

All this has been possible due to your support and trust in us. We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us.  We have been able to benefit more than 10,000 farmers through various interventions because of you.

We are proud to share that Seva Mandir has been featured in a The New York Times article! One of our GlobalGiving campaigns has been selected as an alternative way to give a gift this Christmas. The link to the article is https://goo.gl/sCxFGC

Also, GlobalGiving's “Year End Campaign” has begun! Until the end of December, all recurring donations up to $200 will be 100% matched throughout the campaign, and whichever organisation achieves the most funds during the campaign will receive $2,000 from GlobalGiving!

Help Seva Mandir achieve these goals this December by donating on our GlobalGiving page!

Thank you so much.

Regards

Atul Lekhra and the Seva Mandir Team

Follow us on www.facebook.com/sevamandir

Links:

• Seva Mandir's Facebook Page

Dear Friend,

At Seva Mandir we have put in a sustained effort to economically empower the residents of Southern Rajasthan. Through our Natural Resource Development unit and Self Help Group Programmes there has been several income generating activities (IGAs) which have yielded positive results. The Dal (Lentil) Mill, one of the major IGAs, was set up and has made a lot of progress over the years. The Dal Mill obtains organic pulses from local farmers at competitive but fair rates and then sells the produce after it has been processed. Once a profit has been achieved it is then distributed among the farmers. 

In the words of Kesar, “We are small village farmers. I own a piece of land. The major crops I sow and harvest every year are wheat, maize and pulses. I have a family of 6 people. After storing the required amount of crops for annual consumption at home, there is very little left to sell in the market. This is the story for most of us in this region. There is no market here. The nearest market is about 40 kms away in Khedbrahma district of Gujarat state. To go there we have to hire local jeeps. These jeep operators charge Rs.100 ($1.38) per quintal of produce plus anything between Rs.30-50 ($0.41-0.69) for our own travel. Often times we have to pay taxes at the border as we cross over from Rajasthan state to Gujarat state. As we reach Bhiloda market, we have no knowledge of the day’s price for the particular produce we take along with us. In the market we have to take the route of commission agents who charges commission between Rs.30-50 ($0.41-0.69) per quintal for their services. They never ask us of the production cost before fixing the price of our produce. There is no clarity in their price fixing method. In most cases it is below the actual market price. There is no clarity either on the weighing of our produce as in most cases it is done with manual weighing scales. Then comes the list of deductions. Deduction of moisture content, deduction of weight of sacks, deduction of weight of produce more than 20 Kgs or its multiples (in market, full price is paid for 20 kgs of produce or its multiples. If there is anything more than that less than half the price of produce is paid for the balance amount) and God knows what not deductions, they do. We have no dignity there. We are treated as if we are not sellers of our produce but someone who are at their mercy. And then there is the cost of returning home and in all of the day’s work losing out on a day’s wage.”

It is shocking to find out that farmers like Kesar are spending about Rs.500 ($7) per quintal in selling their produce in the market.

Kesar continued, “And then one day the miracle happened. Seva Mandir has been working here since the last three decades and over the years have done a number of interventions to improve our lives and livelihoods. It was the year 2008. Seva Mandir gathered us and formed a group which we fondly named ‘Nala Bachat Samiti’ and established agri procurement centers in the village in which smallholder farmers like myself can sell our produce at fair prices.”

This is just one of the story, many more farmers like Kesar are happy today and thank Seva Mandir for making their lives easier and happier.

It is because of your support we have been able to help increase the profits of these poor farmers. Thanks to your trust and support, the lentil mill has continued to grow over time, increasing the income of thousands of farmers who would have otherwise been exploited in the supply chain.

We look forward to your continuous support, and if your travel brings you to this part of the world, please do visit us. 

Warm Regards,

Atul Lekhra and the Seva Mandir Team

Follow us on www.facebook.com/sevamandir 

Links:

• Seva Mandir's Facebook Page