MANDI-II will aim to address challenges faced by smallholder farmers, especially women, in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal by building the capacities of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Julie Gehrki, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Walmart Foundation, said in a statement, “We are excited to collaborate with Grameen Foundation for the next phase of MANDI. “Through this project, we aim to provide farmers with the necessary tools, resources, and market access to improve their livelihoods and build sustainable futures for their communities.”
During the first phase of the MANDI project, also supported by the Walmart Foundation, Grameen Foundation helped build the capacity of 40 FPOs in Eastern Uttar Pradesh by facilitating market linkages, providing access to finance, data and technology and notably increasing women shareholder participation.
Over 8,300 women were added as new members to FPOs;18 out of 40 FPOs now have at least 40% women membership compared to the 12.5% at baseline. A total of 142 self-help groups (SHGs) have been linked with 25 FPOs, resulting in the establishment of various gender-inclusive value chains, such as moringa, chili, medicinal plants such as aloe vera, and dairy as well as production chains such as sweetmeats from the vegetable bottle gourd, and vermicompost as an alternative, organic fertilizer.
Approximately 9,600 farmers benefited from 14 agricultural technologies adopted by FPOs. These technologies include digital, climate-smart, and women-friendly solutions such as RWCM, Rice Doctor, Rice Expert, Wonder Pipes, Dibblers, Cono Weeder, Fasal Amrit for soil moisture retention, Bio Soilz for micro-nutrient activation, and Nano urea for nitrogen balance. The second phase of the MANDI project, a 24-month intervention, will engage 50 FPOs through a hub and spoke model, targeting at least 40% women farmers and aiming to reach 35,000 farmers. Key objectives include increasing farmer incomes, strengthening FPOs’ governance and operations, and promoting market-led production for business viability.Bharati Joshi, Chief Program Officer of Grameen Foundation India, said in a statement, “The second phase of MANDI builds upon the successes of the first phase and represents a significant step towards increasing the incomes and building the resilience of smallholder farmers, especially women. By leveraging technology, market linkages, and gender mainstreaming, the project aims to generate impact across the agricultural landscape in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.”
