Maha: Farmers use Internet to sell directly to customers

Unable to sell their produce

through traders because of lockdown, farmers in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district have come together to reach customers directly through the Internet.

It is helping them cut down the losses to some extent amid the coronavirus pandemic, said Deepak Joshi, a local farmer.

They are also hoping that this can lead to a long-term business model where they would not have to depend on the middlemen.

Normally wholesale traders act as a conduit between farmers and customers, but due to lockdown to contain coronavirus the wholesale trade in vegetables and fruits has come to a standstill.

'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', a grouup of 25 farmers from Devgaon in Paithan tehsil is now selling the produce directly to customers.

 

"Our group has almost 200 tones of sweet lime for sale. We are taking orders directly on Internet. We are also selling vegetables. Rather than letting everything go to waste in the fields, we can earn something," said Joshi.

"We are also trying to create a customer base which will buy from us round the year," he added.

Sanjay Patil, chief scientist, Sweet lime Research Center of Vasantrao Naik Agriculture University, endorsed the concept.

"This may help them get more profit than what they get by selling produce to traders," he said.