Background
After years of learning and experience in farming, it is observed that the entire processing from tilling to sale of produce is dynamic and changes with time and season. In the scenario it becomes inevitable for the farmer to not only know the latest situations, technology but also adopt to changing times.
It is found that even the learned and educated farmer of today’s generation is unable to think differently and move away from the traditional thought process. The farmers continue to focus on the yield per acre rather than profitability per acre, focus only on monetary value of the produce rather than increased input costs year on year, more dependency on subsidies, MSP, etc which are not long term value to the farmer. The farmer continues to spend rather waste money on seeds, fertilizers and pests every year, which over period of time since green revolution made them move from self-sufficient to dependents.
It thus becomes necessity for the farmers to focus on learning and adopting the methods to reduce costs, overall yield, move from mono to multi cropping, integrated farming, enhance value chain and improve dedicated customer base.
Objective
Its time for the experienced new generation has to put meaningful efforts on reducing the overall input costs, reduce wastage, improve value chain products and thus increase farmer income without compromising on the quality of the produce.
The right path to produce food without using chemicals and other external inputs, the farmers has to “unlearn to learn” to produce chemical-free food. The activities is not just limited producing good food but focus to be kept on till the last mile.
1. Planning
2. Tilling
3. Sowing
4. Weeding
5. Labor Management
6.Harvesting
7. Storage
8. Logistics and transportation
9. Processing
10. Value added products
11. Marketing
Strategy
After studying various successful and failure models across various states of the country, the most viable model is to form a co-operative society or equivalent structure where people from various directions come together to work on common agenda.
The need of the hour is to provide better pricing for the farmer, which would not be possible without focusing on the supply chain. Supply chain thus helps in reducing the wastage, better pricing, reaching end consumers, value added products and better price realization compared to conventional process. The focus is to make farmers move from “Retail-to -wholesale model” to “Retail-Retail Model”
Though the model of forming society or a group is not new, the farmers community who could not come together were exploited by trader community. The execution of supply chain involves planning, coordination, storage space, processing machinery, logistics, technology, etc which needs large initial capital, which is considered to be the major hindrance for the farmer community.
With problem being identified where it is, few like-minded farmers to come together to form a group who has played dual role in their work life of being farmer cum work experience(IT, processing, business, service, etc) it brings rich experience onto the table to share and execute the objective.
Hence the building of while ecosystem has been divided into multiple stages, which enables to for smooth transition of upgrading. The following are the focus areas of various stages
Stage 1: Filling logistics gaps between farmer & consumer.
1. Building the natural farmer data and form into smaller clusters.
2. Map the farmers based on the viable transport route for collecting the produce at one place.
3. Engage with farmers to produce multiple types of Fruits &Vegetables, grains, pulses, spices, etc..,
4. Maintain pickup points and interlink the supply of goods to various pick up points, storage units, selling, distribution and end points.
5. Maintain storage units for slow perishable items.
6. Packaging and distribution of goods.
7.Enable profitable model for farmers.
8. Build B2B and B2C market for the produce.
Stage 2: Enabling processing and branding of produce
1.Create infrastructure of processing of various food grains.
2. Improvise margins by producing processed goods.
3. Create premium range for better prices.
4. Build on to create more pick up points and distribution centers.
5. Increase product basket from agri produce to animal produce.
6. Build seed banks.
7. Build small tools and machinery infrastructure.
Stage 3: Consolidate and Expand
1. Create brand by increasing visibility.
2. Create dedicated farmer selling points only.
3. Replicate the model in nearby cities.
4. Create dedicated export market.
5. Create latest large machinery infrastructure.
