Impact-Stories from the Field

Womens Group Set Up Centre To Hire Out Drudgery Reduction Tools

Patelguda, Adilabad, Telangana

Agriculture in the 20^th century has forced a shift from excessive reliance on human power and animal power to mechanical power thus helping reduce physical stress on humans and animals. However, the recent push towards more sustainable and organic practices in agriculture have re-imposed a greater stress on human and animal involvement in the agricultural process. These eco-friendly processes, though economically viable and ecologically beneficial, are also physically more strenuous and involve a lot of drudgery. This factor is multiplied manifold especially for women for whom work at home involves a lot of drudgery and work in the field, besides being strenuous, is also filled with drudgery.

Chetna Organic, as promoter of Organic and Sustainable agriculture believes that simple, eco-friendly, and non-fossil fuel based mechanical power can boost productivity of crops apart from reducing drudgery. But sophisticated mechanical power driven tools and implements are still beyond the reach of small/marginal farmers and landless farm workers who constitute a majority of rural population. Small/marginal farmers and farm workers, because of their economic circumstances, are unable to own advanced farm implements on their own or through institutional credit. Therefore to bring farm machinery within the reach of small/marginal farmers, Chetna has been promoting collective ownership of productivity improving, drudgery reducing machinery like tractors, tillers, seed cleaners and graders, Broad Bed Furrow machines etc.  

Going further down the chain, to reduce on- field drudgery for marginal farmers and farm workers, Chetna Organic with support from Felissimo corporation, Japan motivated a womens’ self help group to set up a Custom Hiring Centre under the Pace by Peace cotton program. The program started in August 2013, on an experimental basis in Patelguda, a Chetna supported 100% organic village of 48 households in Adilabad district of Telangana that has been practicing organic farming over the last 10 years.

Realising that farmers in the neighboring villages are often deterred from transitioning to organic farming due to the physical stress involved, Chetna motivated the all-women Sri Lakshmi Self help Group to set up a centre where farmers could hire drudgery reducing farm tools and implements at a nominal cost.

After extensive research and study on farmers’ requirements, Chetna provided them with small everyday tools and implements like light weight pick axes, crow bars and water trolleys that were specifically designed to reduce stress and drudgery while working.

The group has collectively framed the rules and regulations to run the centre. The facility has helped many women in easing their work related stress. In two years, the centre has successfully helped the 48 households in Patelguda village utilize different implements several times during the agricultural season.

The following are the list of implements the SHG are hiring out in the village.

The group has so far mobilized Rs. 1280 /- as amount charged for hiring out equipment. Apart from the above said implements, the group has been also provided with tools to undertake minor repairs for all these implements. Farmers have expressed their comfort and ease of use with the tools that are helping them save a lot of time and energy. The implements are helping farmers reduce their workloads and at the same time provide income to the groups to improve financially.

Rice and Dal processing units in Orissa

Rice Mill – Basumatha Cooperative

Dall Mill – Matrubhumi Cooperative

Sales Strategy devised by the Matrubhumi Cooperative

Salient Features of the venture:

Farmers would get a fair base price for their produce as against the current local markets operated by the middlemen and traders. This will enhance the income of the farmers. This Dall, being an organic product, would not contain any chemical residues. This is particularly nutritious for the children who consume it every day as part of their mid day meal program.

Women in the Dal processing

Moreover, Matrubhumi plans to involve Rajbhima womens’ SHG of Mading village to process the Dal. The SHG would take up the responsibility by deputing three of its members to work in the Dal processing unit on a rotation basis. Each member would be paid INR.100 per day as wages, out of which they would contribute INR.20 towards the savings (corpus of the group) for undertaking other enterprises. A total of INR.180,000 is expected to be ploughed back into the village economy.

 

The Rice Mill established by Basumatha Cooperative in Golamunda is presently being hired out to the individual farmers to process their paddy and sell their finished produce in the local markets. Basumatha Cooperative charges a service fee from members for the processing.

 

Images From Matrubhumi Dal mill, Golamunda, Kalahandi, Odisha.