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Training on B|u|s Farmers Entrepreneurship Program for Turmeric Farmers in Erode, Tamil Nadu

24 May, 2024

The develoPPP Spices project, focusing on enhancing smallholder spice farmers' capacities in sustainable farming conducted a training on agri-entrepreneurship skills to help farmers enhance their income and entrepreneurial capabilities. In collaboration with Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA), an institution specialising in capacity building within the German agriculture sector, the project delivered training aimed at empowering farmers, as well as rural youth to take charge of their economic development.

A two-day "B|u|s Farmers Entrepreneurship Skill Development Training" (Module 1) was conducted in Erode from 24-25 May 2024, with 33 farmers. The training sessions, led by Mr. Anbu, utilised an interactive, participatory approach to encourage engagement, sharing of experiences and practical application of key concepts.

The training covered a range of topics under the B|u|s 1 module, including:

  • Taking responsibility and ownership of actions
  • Goal setting and achievement using the wheel of success framework
  • Strategies for overcoming limitations and building resilience
  • Importance of constructive feedback
  • Strategic planning and setting clear objectives
  • Conducting effective financial analysis

These topics provided the farmers with essential tools to enhance their personal capacity, strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset, and improve their financial management skills.

Key Highlights:

  • Successful two-day training session with 33 farmers in Erode
  • Engaging, participatory sessions that focused on personal and entrepreneurial capacity building
  • Follow-up training in Coimbatore from 3-5 July 2024, with 28 farmers
  • Exposure visit to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), where farmers learned about agribusiness units, including Mushroom Cultivation and Agribusiness Incubation Units
  • Hands-on experience with technical and financial aspects of agribusiness

Notably, one of the participants, Mrs. Janaki, successfully registered her own oil processing mill after completing the B|u|s Module 2. Mrs. Kousalyadevi took a significant step by renting a shop in Coimbatore to showcase her organic products at the local market, aiming to boost her sales. Additionally, she extended an invitation to other training participants, encouraging them to collaborate and display their products in her shop, strengthening a spirit of mutual growth and cooperation.

This initiative plays a critical role in promoting the sustainable development of smallholder farmers, particularly in the spice farming sector. By focusing on entrepreneurial and financial capacity building, the training directly supports NBSAP India’s Theme 2: Meeting People’s Needs through Sustainable Use and Benefit-Sharing. Specifically, it contributes to:

  • Target 10: Sustainable management of agriculture and forest areas, by equipping farmers with the knowledge to enhance the sustainability and profitability of their farming practices.
  • Target 11: Enhancing and maintaining ecosystem services, as the training also helps farmers understand how to balance economic development with environmental sustainability, improving soil health and productivity while preserving biodiversity.

This entrepreneurship training also aligns with Theme 3: Tools and Solutions for Implementation and Mainstreaming, particularly Target 20 (capacity building). The training empowers farmers with the skills and knowledge required to establish sustainable and profitable agricultural ventures, contributing to their long-term economic and environmental well-being.

Future training sessions will focus on advanced entrepreneurial skills, as well as additional exposure visits to agribusiness units, to support the transition of smallholder farmers into self-sufficient, profitable agricultural enterprises.

Exposure visit of farmers at TNAU, Agri business development Unit. Photo credit @Pradnya Thombare, GIZ India.

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About the project

The ‘Enhancement of Smallholder Spice Farmer’s Capacities in Sustainable Farming’ aims to strengthen the production of cardamom (Kerala), Cumin and Dill seed (Rajasthan) turmeric (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka), Celery (Punjab and Haryana) by increasing the capacities of spice farmers and making the production practices economically, socially and environmentally more sustainable.

The project is part of the develoPPP.de Programme implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The lead executing agency for this project is AVT McCormick. develop.PPP was set up by BMZ to involve the private sector in areas where business opportunities and development policy initiatives overlap. Read More

For more information contact: biodiv.india@giz.de

 
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