The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi and Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) Society will collaborate on setting up farmer producer organisations in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, it was announced on Monday.
For this, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 35 lakhs to IIT Mandi and EWOK Society to promote and set up three farmer producer organisations in three years.
For this, the Institute and the Society will be involved in the following activities:
Also, IIT Mandi will provide its expertise in tourism, rural marts run by self-help groups, engineering solutions for farm-friendly equipment, research on the impact of climate change on agriculture incomes, among others.
EWOK Society Secretary Sandhya Menon said the EWOK has been working with the women and families in Kamand area in both farm and non-farm sectors to encourage women entrepreneurs at the grassroots.
Speaking about the role of EWOK Society, Sandhya Menon, Secretary, EWOK Society, said, "EWOK has been working with the women and family in the greater Kamand area in both farm and non-farm sectors to encourage women entrepreneurs at grass root level. In the farm related activities, along with IIT Mandi Medicinal Plant lab, some successful pilot programmes have been run for the past 2 years. The support from NABARD has come at the right time in order to scale up these programmes to ensure a sustainable model in income generation for farmers in the long run in this area. In the coming years, EWOK will play its role to form FPOs and guide in building out the FPO business activity and market linkages. Additionally, EWOK will continue to focus on skills development and increasing incomes of the women & families in the surrounding rural areas, especially through entrepreneurship."
In the farm-related activities, along with IIT Mandi Medicinal Plant Laboratory, some successful pilot programmes have been run for the past two years.
The support from NABARD has come at the right time in order to scale up these programmes to ensure a sustainable model in income generation for farmers in the long run in this area.
Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) is an initiative of IIT Mandi Women’s Center to help rural women set up small enterprises in 5 panchayats of Kamand, Kataula, Katindhi, Batheri and Navlaya in Mandi district by providing them guidance, training and information.
