Hello Santanu,

I would like to assist with this if still needed. Please contact me about how we can go about this, if you still need it completed.

Best Wishes,
Barb

Dear Barb,
Welcome to my village and thanks for your interest in us.We need your assistance to proceed.Our youths are migrating due to poverty.Many other problems like child labour,women trafficking,sexually transmitted diseases,drug/alcohol addiction etc are created due to poverty related migration.Main profession of the villagers is agriculture.Economic conditions of the villagers can be developed by the commercialisation of agriculture.In previous discussions with Paul,Evaristo,Anisa & Poonam farming of Acorus calamus farming and some other plants/crops was selected as a solution.Introduction of some cash crops,value addition and its marketing is required for a permanent solution.At present we want to start with farming of Acorus calamus in small scale then to scale it up.But for this we need some funds which can be used as a revolving fund.
There are many things to discuss.I on behalf of KHAPARAPADA village want the persons like you to guide us.
Regards
Santanu
Regards
Santanu

a lens has been created to help promote the project.

KHAPARAPADA/

Thanks for your continuous efforts.

I think I can help in this part.

I believe that knowledge base and size and scope may restrict the target market to the national one.

The action would be then how to prepare a correct business plan and to who send it that may act as sponsor. As I pointed in another posting, A. calamus may not find response in the USA market due to a ban to some of its by-products. It is fair saying that these bans do not necessarily reflect cause and or they may be based in speculative, non-validated work. Nevertheless, this is a position that can not be changed and that unless there is a USA investor/NGO with interest in Asian market/problematic, USA investment could prove difficult.

I also believe that the potential uses of A. calamus should be considered. There is particular interest in India by different chemical organisations to explore the use of A. calamus as a chemical product for pest control. I don't know anything about the advances of this, so this is only a proposal. However, if it is in exploratory phase, the proximity of a research team in the area should be a must. Normally those groups are concentrated in determined areas of the country and I guess that our area is not blessed with much investment of that kind. Substantial added values should be considered by the growers to attract investement, possibly conceding the land to research without direct, immediate payback.

If the expectations are not - or even can not be - that high, the interest of investment would not be strong neither. The best you can do is preparing a correct business plan and show it to a nearby low interest loan program. I have the impression that this is the best option.

I ask Santanu what of these options and which other options the villagers have in mind.

Another aspect that maybe Santanu and the villagers should think about is the necesity of changing their products for new ones so quickly. I'm sorry to bring this point so late, but Santanu: we all should think that the original proposal was a MARKETING Cooperative. Now, I am thinking more in focus... Perhaps you might think about how to create value to the village through the Marketing process. It might be more useful to create a bit of promotion by using internet or designing a Marketing campaign. I tell you that that can be a real plus. The campaign may include:

- Devising marketing strategies
- Identification and tactics to approach potential buyers
- Preparation of panflets, presentation cards, logos and other identifiable promos
- Pricing and segmentation if applicable
- etc

I can make a short instruction about all that later (perhaps, very later!!!!). But if we are lucky, WE CAN TRY TO GROUP PEOPLE INTERESTED IN MARKETING CAMPAIGN DESIGN! And even more, the cost of that group would be for free (all volunteers). You would only have to find how to pay for, for example, t-shirts with the logo of the cooperative made by the group, or designed panflets with prices and relevant information. You should also make a great deal of looking the buyers and organising activities and giving additional info to the campaign designers, as well as other trading issues.

I suggest this a serious proposal for a new action, paralel to the other activities you have included. Only remember that I can not get involved as before, but I have an idea about how to organise the group and what a marketing campaign is, so you decide.

Also remember that all this (selection of the products, marketing campaigns, etc.) are just oriented to one objective: cover the needs of the market. There are other issues, like logistics or financing, that you should think about (more than thinking in sponsoring). Perhaps a better overview, like a free online course of market and trade would be even more useful for you than having money (Santanu: if used correctly, INFORMATION IS POWER, for bad or for good). I told that to an uncle more clever than me and now he is rich, honestly!!

I tell you: if you don't have all that requirements in place, then no investment.

To summarise: commercial issues to take in account are:
- Marketing ( = approaching buyers and adding "soft" value)
- Logistics ( = approaching them effectively)
- Financing ( = organising your costs and returns)
- Production ( = giving what the buyer wants)

All those aspects must be harmonised, even if it is a very small business like yours!!!

Let me know about the course of this discussion and I would try to bring my contributions.

xchristmas and happy new year...

Regards

Evaristo

Happy New Year
Dear Evaristo,
Thanks a lot.
You have analysed and explainned vividly.
I feel guilty as I am not coping up with you.
Yes,we need a marketing cooerative.Our farmers are growing many things.They have many problems.They do not know the market,they do not follow the propper cultivation methods,they are exploited by the middlemen.Political leaders,Government commits manythings but serve nothing.The biggest problem is floods.Our farming lands are badly affected with the floods more than 10times every year during monsoon season.Another problem is I am working mainly for the poorest of the poor.Pelle has already visited my village and felt it.Most of my farmers are very poor to whom bankers are unwilling to lend.I and other members of YDP working lonely for them.You know that we have to spend some money for every steps we proceed to do something.I have to spend evrything from my pocket to do anything for my villagers.Internet access here is very slow and costly also.Still we are determined to acieve the goal.But due to many hurdles like this our speed of work is becoming slower.But,it might be speedier ,if my villagers get some neighbours like you.
We grow upland crops only from November till Apil when there is no rainfall.Our lands are low land and becomes swampy in the rainy season.We have also some lift irrigation facilities here to irrigate the lands while there is no rainfall.Accrdingly we have to select the plants.I plan to start something practically in my village and it should not be very much delayed also.
With warm regards,
Santanu

A project should have a clear focus and small, concrete steps;

- There should be a local team in place;

- Ongoing activities attract more volunteers than planning issues;

- Finding funding or sponsors is still a difficult issue that many villages encounter;

- Being featured attracts Neighbours, creates activity in the Village, however Neighbours only stick to a project when they see community involvement

- Regular discussions and updates are necessary to maintain an active group.

can we focus on the above?

Dear Bob,
Thanks for your suggestions.
-We have good ongoing activities on plants like ginger,turmeric,sesame,groundnuts,greengram,blackgram,mustad
etc..It is due to local market demand.But farmers are getting low prices.So,we can also work for better marketing,value addition ,agri-technologies etc.
-Here is a local team i.e. YDP .Members work physically for the village.Please tell me what type of modifications can be done to improve the local team.
-If funding is not available,we can try to best utilise the locally available resources.
-I want to be clarified on being featured.Please guide me on this aspect.

-Our village/community is involved in all the activities.How should I explain it here?
-Yes,we are poor in regular updates and it is due to internet problem.Henceforth it might not be a problem.We have spent some more to improve the internet connectivity.
We always welcome your suggestions.
With best regards,
Santanu

Santanu...

I remember a picture of the houses - yes, you might face a lot of flooding there...

Let us know the reasons why the low prices:
1) Are there many middlemen involved? Why?
2) do you sell during the pick season, when there is higher possibilities of low prices?
3) Is the community selling individually to a buyer or they sell all in bulk and then share the money?
4) This is important to answer honestly: quality. Do you think you offer a bad or medium quality product(s)? Which products offer higher potential?

I believe that you and your community require more training, before thinking about getting money. And even more than training: I believe that Nabuur can offer SUPERVISED TRAINING. You should show some committment to bring credibility to the market before asking for funding. Being poor is not necesarily an obstacle.

I believe that Nabuur community and as Bob is trying to organise, you may require training in:

1) Communal farmer organisation. I believe, Bob, that we should try to organise a training for Santanu. That should not be only giving extensive material but also finding people ready to supervise the results of that training online. Santanu should make reports of the progress and difficulties he is finding along the way.

2) Agricultural techniques. This is something that can be mainly given by sending relevant material (usually in English). I guess you are not a farmer, Santanu, but you have shown some interest. It is normally more difficult to find impersonated training, but can be in the future. I would suggest to definitively finding no more of 3 crops and focusing on them. Santanu: What happen with A. calamus? There are other two with potential?

3) Organising a supervised "marketing and trade consultancy" for Santanu and the community. We should stop sending material that it is difficult to read: we have to read it first, and help with advice accordingly when possible. We pick a topic (let's say marketing) and create a marketing forum dedicated to Santanu and its community. Let's make that the people then discover together Santanu what the community needs or at least how they can help.

I suggest to bring up to the forum the following sections, some of them with supervised follow-up by community members(some of them are already there, with different names!!!):

1) Community Organisation. Supervised = read it first and then comment it and organise a follow up.
2) Adding value through agricultural techniques and product transformation (just for 3 plants, Santanu, please!: let's make a final choice or forget it). A subsection should include alternative activities (like fishery or so).
3)Marketing techniques for poor communities.
4)Gathering information about Logistics in the area (this is a very short one, just to get the idea of the problem: we can not change much of it).
5) Financing of small organisations: this should involve not info about banks, but rather:
- Book keeping
- Different forms of financing
- Family finances for the very poor
- etc.

Santanu: your obligation should be to prepare and send reports every arranged time. Bob may help by facilitating the whole process, connecting people and avoiding double work. What do you think, Bob?

E.

Santanu...

I remember a picture of the houses - yes, you might face a lot of flooding there...

Let us know the reasons why the low prices:
1) Are there many middlemen involved, so you dont sell directly to the final user? Why?
2) do you sell during the pick season, when there is higher possibilities of low prices?
3) Is the community selling individually to a buyer or they sell all in bulk and then share the money?
4) This is important to answer honestly: quality. Do you think you offer a bad or medium quality product(s)? Which products offer higher potential?

I believe that you and your community require more training, before thinking about getting money. And even more than training: I believe that Nabuur can offer SUPERVISED TRAINING. You should show some committment to bring credibility to the market before asking for funding. Being poor is not necesarily an obstacle.

I believe that Nabuur community and as Bob is trying to organise, you may require training in:

1) Communal farmer organisation. I believe, Bob, that we should try to organise a training for Santanu. That should not be only giving extensive material but also finding people ready to supervise the results of that training online. Santanu should make reports of the progress and difficulties he is finding along the way.

2) Agricultural techniques. This is something that can be mainly given by sending relevant material (usually in English). I guess you are not a farmer, Santanu, but you have shown some interest. It is normally more difficult to find impersonated training, but can be in the future. I would suggest to definitively finding no more of 3 crops and focusing on them. Santanu: What happen with A. calamus? There are other two with potential?

3) Organising a supervised "marketing and trade consultancy" for Santanu and the community. We should stop sending material that it is difficult to read: we have to read it first, and help with advice accordingly when possible. We pick a topic (let's say marketing) and create a marketing forum dedicated to Santanu and its community. Let's make that the people then discover together Santanu what the community needs or at least how they can help.

I suggest to bring up to the forum the following sections (some of them are already there, with different names!!!):

1) Community Organisation
2) Production and Agricultural techniques (just for 3 plants, Santanu, please!: let's make a final choice or forget it)
3)Marketing techniques for poor communities
4)Gathering information about Logistics in the area (this is a very short one, just to get the idea of the problem)
5) Financing of small organisations: this should involve not info about banks, but rather:

Dear Evaristo,
Hearty thanks and appreciations for your efforts for my village KHAPARAPADA.I am trying below to explain as per your requirement:
-Yes,my village is worst affected with many floods every year during monsoons i.e. mostly in the months of July,August and September.So,villagers generally grow commercial plants in the rest of the years.
-Reasons of the low prices:(i)Yes,many middlemen are involved.Farmers are unable to sell to the final consumers,(ii)Yes,farmers sell their produces just after harvest due to a)they need to repay the loans borrowed mostly from the private parties with high interest
b)they need money for their daily expenses,c)they are unable to go for value addition,packing and marketing,d)they have not warehouses or cold storages
c)Villagers sell individually,not in groups or in bulk
d)Most of our produces are high in quality and you can rely on it;but produced inorganically as they get the same prices for both organic and inorganic produces.
-I/we will follow your suggestions for the betterment of the villagers.
-Yes,I am not a farmer; I am in agribusiness.KHAPARAPADA is my native village where I was born and completed my schoolings .I stay at Jaleswar,around 40kms. away from Khaparapada.I visit my village more often and talk to my villagers over phones regularly.I want my villagers to develop.
-I think we should withdraw from Acorus calmus idea at present as it is not so much demanded due to its toxicity as you suggested.Rather we can add some other plants like:
1)Oilseeds like groundnut,mustard,2)Pulses like Greengram,Blackgram,3)Spices like Ginger,Turmeric,Chillies,4)Vegetables like Potato,Brinjal and many others as market is available locally.We can work on 3 plants out of this list.
I want to know what next steps shoud we do now?
With thanks and regards,
Santanu

Santanu, thanks for the reply, I will get back to you very soon.

Greetings, if you want the village to become a Featured Village then together we need to work on:

'defining the project steps and tasks'

One of the lessons learned of the previous round was that a project makes faster progress if all involved are focused and if the tasks and steps are concrete and small.

To make the project definition most effective, Local Representatives are invited to assist each other and to share best practices. Also Facilitators and Neighbours will be asked to assist in defining the project in logical steps.

Dear Bob,
Thanks for your suggestions.
I will follow it for better result.
Santanu

Dear Bob,
I have already replied for our village to be featued.I have sent a copy to you and also to Pelle.Pelle is not satisfied with my informations.Please help me here to improve it.I am also confused in the following section- http://fv.nabuurtest.com/villages .

With regards,
Santanu