Representing a constituency that is predominantly an agrarian economy, P.C. George, MLA, has been witness to the difficulties experienced by local farmers in connecting with their markets during the lockdown.
Despite an increased demand for the agricultural products in the region, trading hardly takes place as people are keen on avoiding the potential perils of market places. To bridge the gap, he has come up with an online interactive platform that seeks to bring together the entire farming community across the nine panchayats and one municipality in his constituency.
Poonjar Karshika Vipani, a Facebook page opened by the local MLA, is an attempt to ensure that the farmers could keep selling even while the COVID-19 measures are in place. Local vendors in and around Poonjar too have been encouraged to join the fold.
Besides getting their products to the local market, the initiative also intends to introduce the farmers to the latest farming techniques and enhance the distribution of high-quality seeds and fertilizers.
‘‘We have so much produce but accessing customers is difficult. So it just makes sense to pool our resources and ensure a level of interaction between the farmers and traders while also limiting any delay in service,” he said. Launched only two days ago, nearly 3,000 farmers have joined the group as members.
