In Firozabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India, the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) formed a cluster of 10 small marginal women farmers for agricultural activities.
During a visit to Nagla Ballia, the SEWA team came across an orchard owned by Bhuri, a local farmer. The orchard had been lying idle, as there was no once in her family to manage the orchard, production, or sell the produce. After learning about her situation, the SEWA team requested permission from Bhuriben to use her garden for cultivating apple ber. The purpose was to provide employment opportunities for the women farmers and enable them to generate income for their livelihoods.
Once permission was granted, the farmers began working in the orchard and planted apple ber. Responsibilities were shared among the group, including watering, garden maintenance, berry care, plucking, sorting, and storing. When the crop was ready, the fruits were harvested, weighed, examined, and packaged by the sisters. The produce was then sent to the mandis of Agra and Delhi to secure good market rates.
A total of 50 quintals (5,000 kilograms) of apple ber were procured from the orchard and sold at INR 35 per kilogram (USD .50), generating an income of INR 2,75,000 (USD 3120) . With production costs amounting to around INR 70,000 (USD 795) , the women farmers earned an estimated profit of INR 2,00,000 (USD 2270).
Through this initiative, the SEWA team of Firozabad successfully created a means of employment and income generation, directly benefiting the farmer sisters and revitalizing Bhuri’s orchard. This initiative is supported by the APFP-FO4A program.
The APFP-FO4A program is implemented by the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC), with funding support from the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The program aims to strengthen the capacities of farmers’ organizations to provide economic services, advocate for enabling policies, and promote sustainable livelihoods for small-scale family farmers across Asia.
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