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The Nari Shakti Utpadak Sangh (NSUS) was formed in 2020 by a group of 15 rural women leaders from Osmanabad block in Maharashtra, India, who recognised the benefits of operating a business collectively & the opportunities to scale up production & marketing that came with it. Currently the NSUS is working in 25 villages with 450 small & marginal farmers & has processed, packaged, & marketed over 10 quintals of pulses in Osmanabad district, partnering with various government departments & private institutions.
Dairy businesses thrive in Tuljapur region of Osmanabad, Maharashtra. This however, does not mean that the farmers get a fare share of the profits. The malpractices around the business, which leaves the farmers with very less returns, often dissuades them from selling the milk to the dairy units.
The Nari Shakti Utpadak Sangh (NSUS)
In Osmanabad Block, 15 women leaders who were implementing the Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) model, and training and mentoring new leaders decided to come together and form a collective group for the production, processing, packaging, and marketing of pulses or ‘dals’ in 2020, calling themselves the Nari Shakti Utpadak Sangh (NSUS). Together, the NSUS members began to reach out to farmers from nearby villages, who were already carrying out bio- farming, and convinced them to sell their pulses to the NSUS for processing and marketing, giving them a fair rate for their produce. Additionally, women leaders provided training and guidance to new farmers on adopting the WCRF model, and helped farmers access various government schemes and subsidies that would benefit them and reduce costs. Women leaders have supported farmers in availing useful schemes related to irrigation, farm inputs, seedlings, and fruit trees, vermicompost beds etc. by assisting them in filling online forms and submitting applications to the local government departments like the Panchayat Samiti, PoCRA, ATMA and the Agriculture Department. NSUS then increased their supply base by purchasing raw pulses from these new farmers who had started bio-farming as well.
Starting with 15 villages, today the NSUS receives raw material (un-processed pulses) from 450 farmers in 25 villages in Osmanabad Block. Responsibilities and roles are divided between the 15 members, with different members involved in collecting and transporting raw materials, operating pulse processing mills, and the packaging and marketing of final products. The processed pulses are transported to 1-2 central villages, where the women carry out post-processing activities like labelling, grading, and packaging of products before they go to the market. The NSUS has also developed its own label and packaging material that is helping identify the women’s product in a competitive market. Currently, NSUS is selling pulses like pigeon peas, split chickpeas, green and red gram and black lentils.
Throughout this process, SSP has provided training on packing and marketing, and guidance and support to women leaders from the NSUS, helping them to build a successful business. In 2020, SSP also organised a field visit for NSUS members to a well-established Farmer Producer Company run by SSP’s leaders, where women learnt how to operate a collective business from experienced women leaders.
Marketing
Today, NSUS sells its pulses in stalls put up in local village markets, in nearby towns and in the large weekly market held in Osmanabad city. The women have also successfully negotiated with private institutions like hotels and hostels to sell their products in bulk. Due to well-developed relationships and collaborations with government officials, women from NSUS are also regularly selling their pulses to officials from the various line departments in Osmanabad block and district. Further, through participation in various exhibitions held in Osmanabad city, NSUS also has a list of private individuals with whom they do business and sell their pulses to private homes in Osmanabad directly.
The Outcome
For farmers who are supplying NSUS with raw pulses, there has been a significant reduction in cost of farming by implementing the WCRF model, as women leaders have connected them with various government schemes & subsidies & provide them with a fair rate for their produce with minimal costs arising from transport of good for individual farmers. Farmers have seen an increase in profit from Rs. 5000 per quintal to around Rs. 7000 per quintal by selling it to the NSUS. For the women members of NSUS, they are each getting an additional Rs.1500 per month in hand, while investing the remaining profits into the pulse-processing business for further expansion & growth. The women have a joint bank account, in which they are saving their money, & have plans for further expansion of their business through the purchase of a larger processing unit that will increase production from Quintals to Tons. Women leaders’ relationship & collaboration with government officials from various departments has also seen a considerable shift, with greater recognition & respect given to them.
They often work in collaboration with the local government machinery to create awareness and link famers with relevant schemes, and advocate with the Village, Block and District Administration on their priorities and access to resources.
“Since starting this collective business, we have really seen a change in our own behaviour and self- confidence. Today we can speak with senior government officials about our work and products, as well as in new markets with shopkeepers and with other buyers to negotiate for the best price for our pulses. Now we want to increase production and see our dals being sold in bigger cities like Pune and Mumbai,” says Sonal Pawar from Kumalwadi village, who is a founding member of the Nari Shakti Utpadak Sangh and its current Secretary. Sonal tai is also one of the leaders who handles marketing of pulses for the NSUS, in addition to training and mentoring farmers in five villages of Osmanabad Block.
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