Promoting Agribusiness among the Tribals

In January 2015, with the help of a local government agency, a vegetable stall was established near the district collector’s offi ce, a busy marketplace, and women members were encouraged to sell fresh vegetables and fruits at the stall. Women of Temni Khurd village started aggregating and transporting their products together. The demand for their product was very high, and their product used to sell within few hours. They realised that they could not meet the demand on any festival or during summer. After these villagers experienced the ‘market’ and ‘power and need of collectivism’, they decided to form their own producer’s company. As they were part of different self- help-groups (SHGs), it was easier for SRIJAN to establish a formal farmers producer company and bring willing members of various SHGs of the village and nearby villages under the umbrella of the company. A formal entity, namely COFE3 producer company (referred to as COFE hereafter) was born. Members’ exposure visits to two nearby successful women producer companies that dealt in milk and soybean value chain strengthened the members’ confi dence.