Vriddhi Rural Prosperity Services works with the purpose of accelerating the process of impact. One of its services is digital acceleration which focuses on bringing the power of technology to disseminate curated information that supports decision making of farmers. In designing these services, Vriddhi recognizes that not all problems are resolved by access to information alone. We also recognize that there are issues where comprehensive information can trigger change. We carefully separate these dimensions and target change that can be brought through these. What needs offline facilitation, is offered separately either by us directly or through partners/client systems.
We summarize below our understanding of the context, based on our initial discussions with research on Small Tea Growers.
1. Small Tea Growers range from <1 to 5 acre landholding, put under tea. This community grew rapidly until 2010. The smallholder sector in India currently produces around 35% of the total volume of tea, and the Tea Board of India estimates that this number will grow to around 50% within the next 15 years. Tea is a regulated sector with knowledge on what it will take to grow good quality tea already in the public domain. It is clear that there is district wise variation in productivity- showing the potential for cross fertilization. As families have been in this for few generations, we have to understand the specific pain points of the farmers for not putting this knowledge into practice. While information will be an important gap, brick and mortar issues will be of access to finance, price for produce, access to subsidies among others. Aggregators is an increasing trend – usually from the village, these aggregators remove the hassle of marketing for the farmer. If a good linkage with factory exists, the small tea grower can be expected to be highly invested in her/his tea garden as tea will be their primary source of regular income. (https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/case-studies/sustainable-livelihoods-small-tea-growers_en)
What can digital services do in this scenario?
Digital information services can amplify the message and experience of the IDH program.
Benefits for the farmer: This can help larger number of farmers be equipped with information that supports their decision making leading to improved returns
Benefits for Implementing agencies: It can increase efficiency and effectiveness for IDH by creating a direct channel of communication with the farmers and aggregators. It can help create a many to many learning networks, which enables faster dissemination of best practices.
Aggregators service mostly within their village but expected to reach 500 farmers. We know that the extension chain often excludes because information doesn’t always reach the farmers. Digital Technology strengthens the interested aggregators in reaching their messages to their client farmers – consistently and in time. POP and other content, which is being developed for STGs, can be reached to them via digital means. This will build on the understanding already with the implementing organizations on specific pain points for these farmers and why they are not able to follow/implement what is already known.
Broadly process will be as follows
Overall, there is need for technology solutions to be focussed on specific solutions that it brings for its users. Doing short runs, in specific instances gives insights which can be put back into developing the product.
