4 days ago
Jharkhand Women Farmers Triple Mango Income Through Global Markets
Many farmers in Jharkhand grew mangoes but had trouble finding good buyers.
Local traders often set low prices, and unsold mangoes could rot.
Organisations helped farmers work together through farmer producer organisations.
Farmers learned how to harvest, sort, pack and care for mangoes properly.
This helped different grades of mangoes reach different buyers.
Some mangoes were sold in India, while others were sent to England, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
One farmer, Jiwanti Bara, increased her mango income from about Rs 25,000 to Rs 80,000.
The programme also gave women a bigger role in deciding how their crops were sold.
By 2026, the wider programme was benefiting rural households across Jharkhand.
Jiwanti Bara’s mango income rose from about Rs 25,000 to Rs 80,000 after selling nearly two tonnes through a farmer producer organisation.
Organised markets increased Simdega mango prices from roughly Rs 20–25 per kilogram to about Rs 31 domestically and up to Rs 42 for export-quality fruit.
The initiative trained farmers in harvesting, desapping, sorting, grading, pest control, packaging and other post-harvest practices.
Simdega’s first export consignment went to England on 2 June 2026, followed by a shipment to Italy on 16 June.
Across Jharkhand, 37 farmer producer organisations representing 11,347 farmers have exported 15.8 metric tonnes through nine consignments.
- Who
- Women mango farmers in Jharkhand, supported by farmer producer organisations, PRADAN, government departments and buyers.
- What
- An organised mango-marketing initiative increased farmers’ access to domestic and international buyers and improved some incomes.
- Where
- The initiative began in Simdega and covers Jharkhand, with consignments reaching England, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and other markets.
- When
- The first test consignment left on 13 May 2026; exports went to England on 2 June and Italy on 16 June 2026.
- Why
- To address farmers’ limited bargaining power, reduce mango wastage and connect produce with buyers offering more suitable prices.
Key facts
- Jiwanti Bara’s income
- Rose from about Rs 25,000 to around Rs 80,000 after she sold nearly two tonnes through her FPO.
- Simdega marketed volume
- Increased from around 10 tonnes to nearly 31 tonnes.
- Organised-market prices
- About Rs 31 per kilogram in domestic markets and up to Rs 42 per kilogram for export-quality mangoes.
- Exported volume
- 15.8 metric tonnes of Amrapali mangoes through nine consignments.
- Farmer organisations
- Thirty-seven FPOs representing 11,347 member farmers support aggregation, value addition and marketing.
- Programme reach
- By 2026, the programme covered all 24 districts, nearly 12,000 villages, 3,300 gram panchayats and 264 blocks.
- Women beneficiaries
- Around 46,586 women farmers were directly benefiting from orchards that had started bearing fruit.
Quotes
Jiwanti Bara
A 50-year-old mango farmer from Birnibera village in Simdega, Jharkhand.
“The main question was how to connect this increasing production with better and more organised markets so farmers could receive deserved prices. Production had improved, but market access had not.”
thebetterindia.com
“The success of this initiative is not only about exports. It is about helping families earn from productive assets created on their own land.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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