Global Vikas Foundation

GVF takes a calibrated approach towards helping and empowering small and marginal farmers to earn multifold times from their livelihood by adopting high value crops

We guide farmers in transitioning from low value crop cultivation to adopting high value crops i.e. changing their cropping pattern : We begin by engaging with interested farmers helping them understand our livelihood programme. We visit their farms to understand their farm resources - soil, water, farm output of previous crops, agroclimatic conditions, and also assess the farmers’ profile. Based on the details gathered we suggest the farmers to either adopt a horticulture crop or sericulture, guiding them to change their cropping pattern to adopt high value crop cultivation.

We take a cluster based cultivation approach, wherein, farmers in a given cluster are grouped together to enable better operational management, but more importantly, farmers get the confidence to adopt the crop being a part of a larger group of farmers.

In order to help the farmers adopt the suitable high value crop, we provide 3 levels of interventions

We provide the farmers with quality inputs - Sourcing the best quality saplings at subsidised rates and delivering the saplings at the farmgate. Small and marginal farmers find it challenging to procure high quality saplings at affordable rates. We identify good nurseries, which are selected through an assessment criteria, monitor the sapling production process, and ensure only quality saplings are delivered. We also provide soil quality enhancing materials like bio-stimulants, vermicompost beds, etc. to improve the organic carbon of the soil and achieve better yield from the farm.
We provide comprehensive training and guidance to the farmers – Right from land preparation to harvest stage we ensure each farmer understands each stage of the crop cultivation and adopts the crop properly to achieve the desired outcomes. At each stage, our ground team members who are agronomists, train and guide the farmers in managing their farm and their crop.
We help them with access to forward linkage – We identify buyers for the produce and introduce them to the farmers for selling their harvest. These are buyers aside from the local market players and others known to the farmers. Farmers are free to sell to whoever offers them the best terms of purchase. However, our approach of cluster based cultivation of the same commodity, same variety, in a small region, enables economies of scale to attract buyers, who procure in large quantities from the farm gate offering better prices to our farmers. The result, farmers who adopt high value crops, along with sustainable agriculture practices, and achieve better yield and quality produce, get better price realisation for their harvest and thus higher income than what they get from their traditional crop cultivation. This is how our work helps farmers achieve higher income.