For years, the smallholder farmers of the Bishwanath district in Assam worked on their small land in a disorganised manner using age-old techniques, and tools but struggled to produce sufficient crops for their sustenance. They had no resources, facilities, or access to advance agriculture knowledge. 

In 2019, Tezpur Social Service Society (TSSS), the partner of the Caritas India FARM program brought these farmers into farmer groups and started assisting them. The Covid-19 slowed down their progress, but the spirit and enthusiasm kept them going. By December 2021, TSSS approached the farmers of Samukjuli and Milonpur villages again to assist them in upscaling their agriculture production.

TSSS supported them with water pumps, pipes, and agricultural tools which helped them to increase their monthly income by more than ₹3,000. 

Though the crisis of COVID-19 is still fresh in the memory, but farmers helped each other in this dire situation. Ms Monika Topno and Ms Albina Guria led the group in cultivating seasonal crops such as cabbages, beans, chillies, brinjal, yam, lady’s fingers, bottle gourds, and bitter gourds etc. These groups divide their shifts to work in the morning and afternoon to manage the farming. Time to time they pooled their resources to meet the requirements in the field.  

Initially, the group used to sell their vegetables in the villages, but TSSS facilitated and connected them to the weekly market to set their produce. TSSS has further built a roadside stall for them to sell vegetables on the National Highway and get a better price for their produce. The stall is managed by the FARM team members and the income is shared with the group members on a weekly basis. 

The farmers realised the importance and benefit of collective farming and initiated diversification of crops to fulfil the market demand. They also started winter crop cultivation in consultation with the FARM team, and TSSS provided indigenous seeds from their Seeds Resources Centre. The group began harvesting cabbages, coriander, chillies, bottle gourds, beans, and brinjals by the end of January 2022.

They harvested 200 kg of cabbages, 80 kg of chillies, 57 kg of bottle gourds, 72 kg of brinjal, and 55 kg of beans. The group was overjoyed to see their first fruits and vegetables and took them to the market as suggested by TSSS. 

Soon after the first cultivation, the group planted long beans, bitter gourds, pumpkin, bottle gourds, ladyfingers, and maize in the fallow area. The remaining crops are expected to be harvested in June 2022. As of today, the group has made ₹34,000 in profit and expects to make another ₹25,000 by July 2022. 

The profit is shared among the farmers and is mostly used to pay for children’s education. With the additional income from the group, three members began farming on their own land, and two members began banana cultivation. The group intends to continue their mission with additional cultivations and is open to receiving assistance from others. Currently, at least seven other groups have been inspired by this group and are growing ginger, turmeric, and other vegetables.