Farmers don’t just sell veggies, even offer advice on how to choose them in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: Farmers across the state got together to use social media have launched an initiative to sell

farm produce

after the

lockdown

began. Recalling how they started, farmer Manish More, a postgraduate in agriculture, said, “I agreed to send vegetables from our fields. My relative checked with friends and neighbours and we sent out our first order.”


A group of 11 farmers pooled in their produce to execute the first few orders that came in by word-of-mouth publicity. One thing led to another, word spread to other farmers and over the last three months, this group has registered as a farmer producer company and completed more than 80,000 deliveries worth Rs 2.75 crore. With more farmers hopping onto the bandwagon, more vegetables and fruits were added to those for sale.

As the group widened, the GenNext from the farmers’ homes chipped in. Their kids studying in cities had come to the villages and with their help, the farmers began using social media. Today, the youngsters have helped the farmers set up a website where orders are placed and executed. Farmers who sold produce at

local markets

or through middlemen have suddenly learnt how

market frontiers

had blurred, pushing their produce beyond geographical boundaries.

“These three months have been a learning process,” admits Srikant Dhokchawle, a farmer from Rahata in Ahmednagar. “We went beyond farming.” They learnt to dabble with marketing, Facebook, WhatsApp. The rustic gunny bag used to pack produce is passe. A packaging house was hired to pack produce. “We had to ensure vegetables and fruits don’t get crushed or spoilt during transport,” Dhokchawle said, adding that agriculture officials helped them.

There is

customer service

thrown in now. The group makes video calls to customers to advise how to choose vegetables and fruits. “We do get xfeedback,” says More. Among this was a call to whittle down use of plastic in packing. “We’re working on it.”

The farm company provides jobs to nearly 80 locals, including village women. A local call centre that had shut down after lockdown has also been cranked up and boys who once worked there are again handling calls. For delivery, vehicles of locals are hired. To allay fears, initially, the driver delivering the produce would be togged out in protection kits. For now, the farm-to-home business is smooth and is looking up, says Dhokchawle. “We want to keep expanding. It helps support several farmer families.”