While the lockdown enforced in view of COVID-19 pandemic saw quite a few farmers producers companies being involved in retail vending of vegetables as a contingency measure to help consumers, the WEFSA Farmers Producers Company in Perambalur district has decided to take it up as a permanent venture by opening five permanent retail outlets to sell vegetables in the town. The company has also planned to launch online marketing soon.
WEFSA takes the holistic view of the vegetable and produce supply chain and has been working towards professionalising the informal fresh farm produce trade. “We started retail sale of vegetables at the Uzhavar Sandhi in Perambalur on April 14 at the request of the district administration to help consumers during the lockdown. After the Uzhavar Sandhai was closed after a fortnight, we started mobile vending. We procure from the farmers directly and sell the vegetables at the people’s doorsteps. Encouraged by the good response to the venture, we have now decided to open five retail outlets in Perambalur town ,” Mahendra M. Manivaasan, founder chairman and managing director, WEFSA, told The Hindu .
“We have sold vegetables worth ₹12.6 lakh through the mobile vending unit so far. Now we plan to take up retail vegetable sale as a major business venture. We have requested for allotment of a shop at the Uzhavar Sandhai and continue the trade there. Besides, we plan to open four outlets and we wish to reach out to entire Perambalur within a year. We also plan to launch online sales,” he added.
WEFSA, named after the five elements of nature (water, earth, fire, sky and air), was started with 117 members from across the State in 2014 boasts of 1,000 members now. WEFSA decided to pursue organic farming right from the beginning and produces organic farm products including organic turmeric, jaggery, traditional paddy seeds etc. The company, whose turnover touched ₹1.40 crore last year, also engages with farmers at the grassroot-level to raise awareness and empower them.
The company is currently engaged in establishing a seed processing centre with a storage godown and a dhal mill in Perambalur, with financial support from the government to the tune of ₹60 lakh and ₹15.40 lakh, respectively, extended through the Department of Agriculture Marketing and Agri Business.
The seed processing unit would process seeds of traditional paddy varieties, maize (as Perambalur is a major producer of the foodgrain), pulses and vegetables. The seeds would be procured from farmers, dried, cleaned and graded before being certified by the Seed Certification Department and sold. The processing centre includes a 500-tonne capacity godown. Pulses procured from the members of the company would be processed and packed at the dhal mill before being marketed as a branded product.
