DW BUREAU / Sri Muktsar Sahib

With a view to provide better marketing opportunity to the farmers in the district, young farmers of Sri Muktsar Sahib district opened ‘Sanjh Grocer’ store here to sale agricultural products processed by the farmers club.

These farmers started farming clubs two year ago and started processing and marketing of their agricultural products at small scale. Later, with the cooperation of NABARD Bank they registered Sanjh Farmer Producer Company Ltd under the company act and opened Sanjh Grocer store at Sri Muktsar Sahib.

Farmer Jagmeet Singh of Bhalaina village said that earlier he started food processing with his farmer friends at village level by registering farmer club but marketing was a big problem. They used to stall their products on farmer fairs of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Agriculture department. Later, with the help of the Vegetable Growers Association of India and NABARD, they have co-ordinated with other Kisan clubs and progressive farmers of the district and have opened this store.

Kulwinder Singh, a farmer of village Bhangchari, said, “The farmer can produce everything but farmer lost the game in marketing. To overcome this problem, we have come to market ourselves. In this way we get the full value of our produce and the customer gets the standard material at a lower price. Now there is no middleman between the farmer and the customer.” Jagmeet Singh Bhalaiana, Harjinder Singh of Rupana and Parminder Singh of Gurusar Yodha said that the farmers and farmer clubs keep their products for sale here in the store and earning is provided back to them after sale of their product. This store provides all the food items of day to day use such as all types of pulses, corn flour, besan, jaggery, pickle, chili, syrup, honey, certified organic products, milk, curd, cheese etc. Their store has also got second award from Punjab by NABARD.

(editor@dailyworld.in)