With a view to promoting organic farming and having a vision to make more and more women empowered in the State, Tanuja Mohanty (30) has begun her endeavour as a social entrepreneur in Bhubaneswar. Inspired by her mother Urmila Mohanty, Tanuja, who hails from Boinda in Angul district, is encouraging and engaging marginal women farmers in rural areas to be self-sufficient through agriculture. She spoke to Ashadeep Mohanty of The Pioneer about her mission.
Being a Post-Graduate in Women Studies, what prompted you into the agro sectorIJ
In fact, I had no plans to pursue anything in farming. Even after completing my post-graduation in 2006, I joined a private company and continued to work in the private sector for seven years. Eventually, I realised that it’s better to take forward the works and passion of my mother towards agriculture to a tangible level rather than working for someone else. So, I left my job and joined the company started by my mother as its chief executive in 2013.
So, tell me about your motherIJ How she started all thisIJ
Actually, my mother had been involved in various social works. In 2004, we shifted from Angul to Bhubaneswar. Due to some financial instability and for sake of income addition for our family, she started collecting organic garlic from marginal women farmers of Angul villages and home-delivered it at lingraj Vihar here. later on, she started procuring vegetables, fruits, pulses and various varieties of rice. In view of the rising demand of the organic items in the locality and to give a boost to this work, she started her own business venture, Deshi Fresh Agro Pvt ltd, in 2011. She serves as the managing director of the firm.
What is your broader visionIJ
My vision is to make more and more women in the State empowered and self-sustained through agriculture. Through the company, I will engage rural people, especially women, in farming, processing, packaging along with marketing of organic produces. Mass awareness would be generated among both rural and urban people to choose agriculture as their occupation instead of neglecting and underestimating such a potential filed.
How much does Deshi Fresh Agro contribute to organic farmingIJ
It is generating an increasing demand among consumers for organic produces and thereby encouraging more farmers to adopt traditional organic farming methods instead of using chemical fertilisers. We procure organic produces like walnuts, Basmati rice, varieties of pulses, dry chili, mustard, turmeric, etc, besides other seasonal fruits and vegetables from marginal women farmers in Kudalimunda, Jamunali and Jarpada villages of Angul district giving them proper market price. We have a collection centre at Boinda. Then, we supply those produces in Bhubaneswar’s Pokhriput locality through an outlet. So far, 70-75 women farmers, including 10 in Angul, are engaged with us. We will extend our network to Dhenkanal, Sambalpur and KBK districts in near future.
What’s your target of employment generationIJ
As a startup company, it is very early to say about our target on employment generation. Now, 10-12 people are working with us on salary basis. But I have a target to provide employment to 30 people, including youths, for processing, packaging and marketing within next one year.
What are the further developmental plans for the companyIJ
There are a lot. like, for value addition and branding of various cereals and pulses, I have already talked with Dr Saroj Rath of the MSME Department. Besides, I have also planned to strengthen knowledge of women farmers and youths on organic farming by providing them training facilities through the EDPs of the MSME. I have also decided to form a Women Farming Committee, likely to be named Shakti, comprising 10 women in each village. The forum will give them a platform to share and discuss knowledge on organic farming and their marketing. I have decided to take these produces to New Delhi for marketing next year.
What efforts do you think the State Government should initiate to promote organic farmingIJ
To be frank, there are many Government schemes for every sector in the State. But there is a huge gap between policy formation and its implementation. As far as organic farming is concerned, the Government should address the problems at the grassroots level and encourage people to go in for organic farming instead of using chemical fertilisers by providing them certain remunerative measures.