Over 80% of India’s Farmers are small and marginal. The small size of their landholdings limits their access to credit, warehousing, and markets. The lack of a safety net leaves them more vulnerable to harsh changes - whether social or economic.

 

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased food insecurity, losses on harvested crops, and labor shortages, which have caused distress in farm communities. According to a study by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), half of the small and medium farmers were “concerned about being able to afford inputs, particularly seeds and fertilizer, and mobilize labor” for the upcoming sowing season aggravated by the migrant worker’s crisis. Additionally, about one-fourth were forced to dump crops because of the lockdown and lack of access to storage. Meanwhile, the landless are getting knocked out by the shutdown of the rural economy.

 

The pandemic has affected not just individual farmers but entire families and rural communities. Going forward, farmers fear the inability to afford inputs and storage and face challenges posed by closed markets, lack of transportation, and scarcity of labor. In many villages like Sirunagar, there is distress and panic among small and marginal farmers. These farmers are in desperate need of credit to sustain their livelihoods.  

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

  

 

We are working to assist farmers in 10 villages of Tamil Nadu, India, in the Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts. A typical farmer requires between $50-$200/ acre of inputs for popular crops like paddy, maize, or pulses. Even for loans, he/she needs to put up margin money. Therefore, in these unprecedented times, access to margin money & credit has become more critical than ever before. This Mission- Invest in farmers is a collaboration between Chrysalis and CEC a UN awarded non-profit, both of which have extensive experience in this sector and region.

Your Donation will:

 

 

Help a farmer and his family fulfill their basic food requirements for a week

Aid three families fulfill their food requirements for a week

Assist farmers in buying inputs for one acre of land

Pays for the wages of farm labor for the sowing period

Supports the cost of farm labor and inputs for one sowing season