Gujarat, India – The Kavitha Daal Mill is a women-owned and women-managed agri-enterprise in Gujarat, India, processing locally produced pulses such as green gram, pigeon pea, and Bengal gram. The enterprise responds to the strong and growing demand for processed pulses in the state.
Through the APFP-FO4A programme, the cooperative received USD 8,560 in funding support to implement its business plan for a Mini Dal Mill processing facility. This support enabled the procurement of milling machines and other essential equipment for processing and marketing their products. SEWA complemented this investment by providing technical assistance, including hands-on training on operating and maintaining the machinery, as well as broader capacity-building support for managing the agri-enterprise.
The farmers’ organization aggregates and grades green lentils from its members at the cluster level and stores them in rented warehouses before processing. Pulses are processed into dal based on the unit’s monthly processing capacity and packaged in 1–5 kg packs for retail markets.
Cooperative members sell their produce to the mill for processing and value addition, while the cooperative also sources pulses from nearby non-member farmers. This model ensures fair prices by eliminating middlemen. The processed products are marketed through SEWA’s RUDI network, including RUDI bins and Kamla Café, as well as local wholesalers, strengthening market access and income opportunities for women farmers and surrounding communities.
The Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP) – Farmers’ Organizations for Asia (FO4A) is implemented by the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC), with funding 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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