India: Farmer groups, firms script a fresh start in Maharashtra's Osmanabad
The sale, done through Lok Kalyan group, registered with the agriculture department as a farmers’ unit, has scripted a new beginning for farmers in this village of 4,856 people, hit by water scarcity and crop losses year after year. Padoli’s 12-member Lok Kalyan group produces gerbera flowers across five acres in 20 polyhouses.
“By coming together under an umbrella organisation with the help of the state administration, we managed to get access to a loan from a nationalised bank. We have purchased a vehicle to transport our flowers directly and cut deals with big dealers in the country. Our flowers fetch us anywhere from Re1 to Rs15 a gerbera, depending on the season. They get exported by dealers to South East Asia and even Europe,” said Balaji Pawar, a member of the group.
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