Agri-Tech player Arya Collateral has announced a partnership with ESAF Swasraya Multistate Agro Co-operative Society to provide post-harvest services to smallholders, farmer cooperative societies, farmer producer organisations, and small and medium agro-processors in Kerala.

The project has been launched at KINFRA Mega Food Park, Kanjikode in Palakkad on a total area of 80,000 square feet that includes three warehouses. The storage capacity of these three warehouses together is about 15,000 tonnes.

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This association will strengthen ESAF’s contribution to the farm economy of the State. It will augment private player participation in the procurement and processing of paddy. It would also enable local sourcing and storage of maize, rationalising operational costs of feed input for poultry as well as cattle farms. The low-cost aggregation and scientific storage management of essential food commodities will help overcome the pandemic-induced value chain disruptions and ensure smoothening of prices in the near and mid-term.

Supporting post harvest activities

K Paul Thomas, Founder of ESAF Group of Social Enterprises said, “Overall strengthening of the farm ecosystem is an important aspect in improving the agri-entrepreneurial activity of the State. This particularly has relevance in current times when livelihood sources are scarce and stressed. ESAF has partnered with Arya, a post-harvest technology player, in its endeavor to support vibrant post-harvest activities and give thrust to the much-needed rural economy of the State.”

Anand Chandra, Executive Director, Arya, said, “We are excited in this association with ESAF and are very confident about the important role that ESAF can play in catalysing the much-needed entrepreneurial activity for rural farm economy of Kerala.”

ESAF Swasraya Multi State Agro Co-Op Society, popularly known as ESAF Cooperative, caters to the needs of more than 32 lakh women SHG members across the country. The objective of ESAF Cooperative is to promote the overall economic betterment of members through financial inclusion, farmer development and livelihood opportunities in accordance with co-operative principles.

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