Farmers markets are gaining popularity. In rural India, these markets are popular among consumers who prefer local food, freshness, quality, and environmental benefits.

More number of markets creates additional avenues for farmers to sell their products and enables consumers to conveniently purchase locally sourced food directly from the growers. But mostly, these markets face challenges related to accessibility, the high cost of transportation, price fluctuation, small and scattered holdings, and low productivity.

Caritas India, under its Facilitating Agricultural Resilient Measures (FARM) NE project, has created market opportunities for marginal farmers to sell their agricultural products directly or indirectly to consumers, bypassing the middlemen, to increase their income. Farmers markets also provide a platform for women farmers to showcase their products, interact with customers, and build their confidence and leadership skills.

The FARM Northeast programme has made an effort to promote the benefits of marketing so the communities of Peren district, particularly in Athibung Sub- Division can sell their farm products for income generation. Songlhuh village, located in Peren district, Nagaland, has been part of the FARM NE programme since 2016 and has become an example for other farmers in terms of selling organic farm products.

According to Ms. Rokosenuo Medoze, Field Programme Associate, Development Association of Nagaland (DAN), a partner organisation of Caritas India, the organisation has organised various workshops and training for the farmers of Songlhuh village to encourage them to market. Organic mela is organised where farmers are encouraged to sell their products for income generation, networking, and interaction with government departments for the promotion of market opportunities.

One of the farmers markets is in Athibung Town, situated 1 km from Songlhuh village. A group of 27 women farmers consistently come to this market to sell their products. These women farmers earn between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 per day throughout the summer season. Mr. Paominlal Kevin, a Community Educator, said that “the knowledge imparted to these women farmers through the FARM programme and events has prepared them effectively”.

These women collect their agricultural produce in the evening and go to the market the next morning at 5:00 a.m. Most of the time, they sell out their products before 8:30 a.m., either to the wholesalers or in the Jalukie and Dimapur markets. Later, they returned home, did their domestic chores, and went to their field.

The women farmers sell a variety of products at the market, such as maize, cucumber, watermelon, okra, bitter ball, ginger, spring onion, bitter gourd, chilli, beans, brinjal, yam, and pumpkins. Apart from vegetables, they also collected non-timber forest products (NTFPs). Like wild edible leaves, fruits, and bamboo shoots, which their husband helps them, collect from the forest. All these products are grown organically and processed hygienically by the women farmers themselves.

The women farmers say they earn Rs 6,000 each month, which helps them sustain their families and pay for their children’s education. They also say that they have gained more respect and recognition from their families and communities for their contribution to their livelihoods. Songlhuh village farmers have been recognised for their hard work and attention to product marketing, and they have been an inspiration to other village farmers. These interventions show that FARM NE has a positive impact on the livelihoods of marginal farmers.

The FARM Northeast programme has been successful in empowering women farmers in Nagaland by providing them with an opportunity to participate in the market economy and assert their rights and identity as farmers. The programme has also been instrumental in promoting local food systems and biodiversity conservation in Nagaland. The programme hopes to expand its reach and impact to more villages and districts in Nagaland and other northeastern states in the future.