6 days ago
Odisha’s ‘Drone Didi’ Helps Farmers Cut Costs, Earn More
Kumudini Swain lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to farming with her family.
She later created a farmer group called Maheera.
The group now has 960 members, most of them women.
Its drones spray crops much faster than people carrying heavy tanks.
This can make spraying cheaper and reduce farmers’ exposure to chemicals.
The group also helps farmers grow crops, raise goats, cultivate mushrooms and find buyers.
By selling through an online agriculture market, farmers may receive better prices.
Women in the group are earning their own money and creating jobs for others.
Kumudini hopes every woman in the group becomes financially independent.
Kumudini Swain built Maheera Farmer Producer Company after losing her job during COVID-19.
The Odisha collective has 960 members, nearly 70% of them women.
Its agricultural drones can spray an acre in about six minutes, cutting spraying costs by 60% to 70%.
Maheera uses e-NAM to connect farmers directly with buyers and secure prices up to 60% higher.
Members have expanded into mushroom cultivation, goat farming, tailoring and other income-generating activities.
- Who
- Kumudini Swain, Maheera Farmer Producer Company and its 960 farmer members, most of them women.
- What
- A women-led farming collective is using agricultural drones and shared services to reduce costs and improve farmers’ incomes.
- Where
- Sirampur village in Odisha’s Khordha district, with drone training conducted in Pune.
- When
- Kumudini began farming during the COVID-19 pandemic; she trained to operate drones in 2022.
- Why
- To make farming cheaper, safer and more profitable while helping women gain independent incomes.
Key facts
- Collective
- Maheera Farmer Producer Company Limited has 960 members.
- Women members
- Nearly 70% of Maheera’s members are women.
- Annual turnover
- Maheera records annual turnover of more than Rs 1 crore.
- Drone capacity
- A drone can spray one acre in about six minutes and cover up to 25 acres in a day.
- Cost reduction
- Kumudini says drone spraying has reduced spraying costs by 60% to 70%.
- Market access
- Through e-NAM, farmers have secured prices up to 60% higher by connecting directly with buyers.
- Initial capital
- Farmers contributed Rs 5 lakh in shares, alongside a loan from Samunnati Finance.
Quotes
Sulochana Mohanty
Maheera member and rural entrepreneur
“What made the biggest difference was the ecosystem. Here, you’re not working alone. There is support, there are buyers, and there is a system that helps your work reach the market.”
thebetterindia.com
“In my family, I am now seen differently. I contribute to expenses, I save for my children, and I don’t have to ask anyone for money anymore.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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