Initiative:

Encouragement of organised Farmer Collectives

Beneficiaries:

Farmers of Bilaspur and Mungeli districts, Chattisgarh

The Challenge:

• Reviving defunct Farmers Clubs and organising them into federations
• Taking up certified seed production

The Solution:

• Three Federations of Farmers Clubs were registered, with assistance from NABARD
• Seed production started to ensure quality and timely supply of certified seeds to the Farmers Clubs
• Awareness was increased through relevant training programmes
• Farmer Federations groomed to act as Business Correspondents for State Bank of India

The Impact:

• Regular income source for farmers since the 20 percent commission received from State Bank of India is passed onto the Federations
• Benefits of aggregation and collective bargaining for farmers
• 15 State Bank of India kiosks now provide financial services and supply quality seeds and pesticides