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About 1,200 farmers in Nashik have established a direct supply chain with 57,000 customers in Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik during the lockdown and have sold vegetables and fruits worth ₹4 crore in a month.
These farmers, part of Sahyadri Farms, the leading farmer producer company in Nashik, have used e-commerce, social media, and technology to establish a direct supply chain between producers and consumers.
Most Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Maharashtra have stopped functioning due to the spread of Covid-19. Vegetable supply chains in cities are largely dependent on APMCs where middlemen traders buy from farmers and supply the produce to vendors.
Advantage, marginal farmers
Vilas Shinde, director of Sahyadri Farms, said the coronavirus spread came as a blessing in disguise. Farmers have to be professional if they want to approach customers directly without a middleman. Farmers will have to maintain quality and provide prompt services to customers, he said.
Over 600 housing societies are now connected with Sahyadri and the company hopes to continue the direct selling even after the lockdown is lifted.
Shinde said that both farmers and customers benefit because of a direct link. Customers get produce at reasonable rates while farmers get good returns. The majority of the farmers who are part of the process are small and marginal farmers and many grow on less than one-hectare land.
Sahyadri is taking the help of logistic partners in Mumbai for the supply of vegetables and fruits. Housing societies can also place orders on the company’s website or mobile app.
Sahyadri has established a link where customers can give their feedback. “This is for the first time the company is experimenting with direct sell. We are also learning in the process. We have refunded customers and also addressed their grievances on priority”, said Suresh Nakhate of Sahyadri, who is part of the daily operations in the supply chain.
The State government has permitted the company to transport vegetables and fruits to cities.
In many places in Maharashtra, small farmers have come together and connected with housing complexes. As a result, profits earned are directly accruing to cultivators instead of getting divided among middlemen and wholesale dealers.
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