May 2020, South Asia
An online network emerges during the lockdown connecting farmers directly with customers
Mayank Aggarwal
- During the nationwide lockdown imposed since March 25 to control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, poor planning left farmers in a lurch even as their crops were ready for harvest but transport and markets were closed.
- However, individual initiatives on social media facilitated many farmers across the country to connect directly with consumers.
- The Harvesting Farmer Network is one such network that emerged during the lockdown which helps farmers around the country sell crops and make better profits, as middlemen are reduced, as well as benefits the customers who get fresh produce at better prices.
A few weeks ago, 22-year-old Dhananjay K.C. was worried that thousands of kilograms of grapes grown at his family’s farmland would go waste as the crop was ready but its sale had become nearly impossible due to the nationwide lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus. However, similar to many farmers across India, he decided to turn the crisis into an opportunity and reached out to online crop markets and groups to sell their produce directly to consumers.
