Self-Help Groups Of Odisha Helped Farmers & Consumers During Lockdown

Malkangiri : An unusual scene was unfolding in Kalimela block in Odisha’s Malkangiri district. Some farmers had let their cattle loose to feed on the fruits and vegetables that were growing abundantly in the well-tended fields. The truth is, they had little choice. With no hope of selling their produce, the farmers had decided to feed it to their cattle. In normal times, the produce would have been bought by local traders, who in turn would have transported it to cities like Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh or Raipur and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. Or even as far as their own State’s capital, distant Bhubaneswar, 650 km from Kalimela. But there was a lockdown — demand had fallen and transport was scarce. Vegetable trading had ground to a halt.

Then the block administration hit upon an idea: ask self-help groups (SHGs) to procure the farm produce and sell it to local consumers. The idea clicked. With markets mostly closed and with movement restrictions, people were having a hard time buying vegetables and other necessities.