Samarth

Samarth is one of Wingify Foundation’s pilot projects initiated with an objective to make the Indian farmers self-reliant and self-sufficient. In the first phase, the project has helped nearly 500 farmers to promote their produce in the farmer’s market, get better pay on their sale, and increase their otherwise marginal incomes manifold.

At present, the project has its roots embedded in the Bhatwari Block-171 of Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand. Post the end-to-end completion of this project, Wingify Foundation aims to then cover another district of the same region and lead the path to its overall development.

Through the program’s course, the foundation and its team has identified 500 marginalised yet farmer families with progressive thinking in the Bhatwari Block. It has also allied with many cooperatives to promote and equip these farmers with resources and necessary training in the commercial cultivation and marketing (including online marketing) of few seasonal vegetables or fruit (organic cash crops, vegetables, floriculture, fruit plantation) which are otherwise grown in low quantities in their area.

These specifically chosen crops may not be much popular amidst the local population, but their demand in the metropolitan area, including Delhi NCR and its neighbouring urban markets is quite high. The price at which these are and can be sold in the big city farmer markets is also 2x to 7x times the price of regular crops.

The foundation’s regular ‘farmer training sessions’ offer assistance to the farmers to:

• make them become hands-on with the new farming techniques and machines,
• ensure they’re working in the right direction and,
• enhance their otherwise age-old, conventional farming skills.

The team, in association with its allies, is also working towards building a robust farm-to-consumer farming model, helping the farmers to directly connect with bigger buyers, and be present at big city marketplaces as well.

Below mentioned are some key outcomes of Project Samarth:

1. Ensured sustainable Household Economic Security of 500 farmer families within 3-4 crop cycles.
2. Enhanced the farming skills of farmers, which are transferable and replicable to cultivation of other crops and in other areas.
3. Creation of a ‘Model Farm and Nursery’ in the State of Uttarakhand, for shortlisted crop(s).
4. Development of a robust ‘Farm-to-Consumer’ model through creation of online / offline market linkages, with or without collaboration of large brick and mortar / online retailers or wholesalers.