HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 22: IndiGoReach, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of IndiGo, partnered with Grameen Sahara, a non-profit society, to empower women farmers in the Assam-Meghalaya border. The program is aimed at enhancing the livelihoods of the poor and underprivileged through scientific cultivation and promotion of spices such as turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and king chili, which are endemic to this region.
The project has already made a significant impact, with 1670 participating women farmers benefiting from improved capacities, and 1155 acres of land brought under integrated cropping practices along with spice cultivation. As a result of the project, Pratishruti Pure Agro Pvt Ltd (PPAPL), a Farmers Producers Company (FPC), has been formed with community groups of rural women farmers, as shareholders. Pratishruti is a commercial outlet that sells agricultural produce and other regular items, thereby creating a sustainable model through the project.
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PPAPL aims to export processed material from ground level rather than raw material. This step has been taken to minimize loss and accentuate the product value in the market. Rice processing meal, turmeric processing mill, black pepper processing mill, and rice flakes miils are underway as of now, sources said.
Additionally, a Common Facility Center (CFC) has been established to support all farmers in the area, to bring their agricultural produce for processing, packaging, and value addition to the product. This is envisaged to create market linkages for the farmers. The CFC is further supported by the Ministry of Medium and Small Enterprises (MSME), Government of India.
