With the support of NABARD we had given one day training programme to farmers on 30.1.2020 from the Agri Department and Coffee Board officials were invited and provided key note address to 30 farmers and benefitted through this training.

The farmers went the exposure visit to Horticulture Research Station, ThadiKankudisai on 17.2.2020. Nearly 3o farmers were benefitted through this exposure visit.

Training Date:- 9.3.2020 to11.3.2020

With the support of NABARD we organized three days training programme to Sirumalai Farmers.  Resource Persons from Agri Department, Agri Business and KVK GRI and Coffee Board officials participated and provided training to them.

In the beginning, CRED has met the farmers in Sirumalai and Vadipatti during the village meetings. In the meeting itself CRED tried to address the issues of small and marginal farmers. The production of exotic hill banana, considered superior to other banana varieties in nutrition and taste, is in Sirumalai Hills which is the only place where it is grown. Moreover the famous Sirumalai Banana is now disappearing from frequent diseases. While addressing the issues of farmers, like transmitting the latest agriculture techniques to the Farmers’ field, orienting them to establish better relationship with banks, adoption of latest post-harvest handling technology, value addition, etc. and enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining power both for procuring inputs and select their produce the Farmers’ Club Programme is an appropriate and most suitable strategy initiated by CRED.

At this juncture CRED formed farmers club in the villages where it is possible in Sirumalai and T. Vadipatti. In the initial stage lot of meeting has been organized and conducted. This meeting is a great platform to the farmers to find out the solution for their problems. After that more farmers want to join in this group. CRED helps the farmers club to coordinate with banks to ensure credit flow among its members and forge better bank borrower relationship, organize minimum one meeting per month and depending upon the need there would be 2-3 meetings per month. Non-members can also be invited to attend the meetings, Interface with subject matter specialists in the various fields of agriculture and allied activities etc., extension personnel of Agriculture Universities, Development Departments and other related agencies for technical up gradation.

Essentially a review is an opportunity to have a discussion with a team member about their work. It has been conducted in the end of the every month. It provides an opportunity to discuss SVFPC’s performance and development, to discuss and agree future targets and objectives, to consider past performance and recognize successes and to identify where improvements/ changes could be made. The SVFPC Board of Directors, Representatives from Share holders, CEO, AGM, NABARD and Bank Representatives will attend the meeting. The General Body Meeting will be organized very soon to disseminate the development of the SVFPC

With a view to widen the horizon of new agro technology, it was felt that traditional farmers may be motivated to adopt new technology by exposing them to innovative projects being implemented by various agencies in different parts of the state. After registering this (SVFPC) company, it has been imparted various capacity building training with the help of NABARD. One of the main training programme have been organized by CRED with the support of NABARD is CAT programme. CAT (Capacity Building for Adoption of Technology) programme has been conducted to two batches of farmers in banana and pepper on 11.03.19 to 12.03.19 and 14.03.19 to 15.03.19 respectively. Totally 60 farmers attended the training and got benefit. This training made the farmers to understand the techniques in banana and pepper cultivation. They understood the cultivation technology, water and soil management, disease and pest management, value addition and buy products, natural and organic manure preparation and administration both in banana and pepper cultivation. At the end of the training they have been taken to exposure visit to National Research Center for Banana, Thogaimalai, Trichy on 13.03.19 for banana cultivators and Horticulture Research Station, Thadiyankudisai, on 19.03.19 for pepper cultivators to get more insight and understanding.

SVFPC felt that small farmers or producers do not have the large marketable surplus individually (both inputs and produce) to get the benefits of economies of scale. Besides, in agricultural marketing, there is a long chain of intermediaries who very often work none transparently leading to the situation where the producer receives only a small part of the value that the ultimate consumer pays. In view of doubling farmers’ income, SVFPC inaugurated a Rural Mart and Input Center for the farmers in Sirumalai pudhur in 20.02.2019. The aim behind opening the rural mart is to provide a market for domestic items at competitive rates to rural people engaged in producing such products. The endeavor is also an attempt to provide quality and genuine products at reasonable rate to consumer. The Products in the Rural Mart are Pepper, Honey, Sirumalai Banana, Jackfruit, Chow-chow, Lablab, Beans, Brinjal, Oil, Millets, Lemon and other SHG and FPO products.

To monitor the progress of the Rural Mart the Project Monitoring Committee has been set up. It will review and monitor progress of the report on outcomes from time to time. It would be conducted every quarter. In this meeting, the project progress of the project activities and the future plans to develop the SVFPC have been discussed in detail. The AGM, NABARD, Dr. P. S. Harikrishna Raj came and facilitated the PMC meeting. All the Board of Directors and few interested share holders have attended the meeting and gave their views and suggestions on SVFPC.

To attain the agriculture sustainability and to make available the supplementary sources of input supply and services to the needy farmers the input centre has been set up in Sirumalai Hills. Here we have some fertilizers like Panjakaviyam, Vermicompost, FACTOMFOS(UDL)20:20:0:13, SPIC SAP 18:46:0, SPIC UREA (NEEM COATED), GREENSTAR 17:17:17, SPIC COMPLEX 20:20:0:13, IPL MOP, NO: 18 MIXTURE, EMPOWER -5KG ROCKET 100 ml, ROKGOR 250 ml, Monocrotophos 36% SL 100 ml, EXODES 50 ml EXODES 100 ml, BOXER 5% EC 100 ML, and BOXER 5% EC 250 ml. The license has been obtained from Agricultural Department for selling the above fertilizers. The license number is RSL/2052/18-21.

With the great support of NABARD, this programme has enabled smallholder farmers to take informed decision on issues related to the farm production and marketing of their products. It has collectivized farmers institutions at the higher level to farm farmers’ producer organizations. These FPO will provide a space for smallholder farmers to aggregate and collectively market with proper value addition (cleaning, grading, packaging and branding) of their produces. The system is envisioned in broadest sense, from the individual farm to the local ecosystem and to communities affected by the farming system which focus more who are under privileged, small and marginal farmers to be united to part of community institutions and made realize their presence contributing at decision making level with ownership of their local resources.