The Brahmagiri Development Society (BDS), a farmer initiative in the district, is gearing up to launch Farmers’ Trade Market (FTM), a project to link farmers with the online market.
Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac will inaugurate the electronic marketing and digital outlet network of the FTM on Saturday at 2 p.m. through video conferencing. Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunilkumar will release the logo of the FTM on the occasion.
The FTM aims at online trade of value added agricultural products through electronic marketing platform and the profit from the project would be returned to farmers, P. Krishnaprasad, chairman, BDS, said.
The first phase of the project would be launched in Wayanad. The farmers’ own online marketing network will be enabled through the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) of BDS, Mr.Krishnaprasad said.
The products of Malabar Meat, Wayanad Coffee and agro-chemical products would be made available online for customers through the 14 selected outlets in the district initially by home delivery and later through 30 outlets, he said.
In the second phase which would start by the end of November, all kinds of food items including fish, milk, lentils, vegetables would be made available online which would be catered to consumers by home delivery through the nearest outlet in Malabar.
In the third phase, which is expected to unfold on March 1, 2021, the entire State would be brought under the ambit of the FTM supply network, Mr Krishnaprasad said. With this initiative, the farmers would be able to collectively own modern food industrial units and the market, apart from the ownership of the land”, he said.
In the final phase, individual farmers, Kudumbashree collectives, and farmer cooperatives can reach out to buyers with their products through the network, he said.
