By Victoria Denison | Executive Assistant, Shivia
Back in June we reported that we had reached our target of 1,000 farmers registered on our AMS programme. The expansion has continued and we now have 1,034 farmer members and we are on target to reach our next milestone of 1,300 members by March 2018. In August, we successfully launched the programme in two new locations, Sundia and Kolaghat, where we are already running our very popular Poultry Development Services programme. Four new Livelihood Service Providers have been recruited and trained by our senior team and agricultural experts to deliver the programme in these two areas. The services they will be offering the farmers include:
The total number of Farmer Interest Groups (FIGS) is now 60 - there are 15-20 members in each group - and they benefit from being able to source agri-inputs at cheaper prices by buying as a group. They can also open a business bank account for savings. This in turn allows them to access some credit facilities to help them develop their agricultural enterprise. We are also successfully introducing our farmers to various government schemes that are only available to FIG members so they can benefit from extra subsidies such as free crop insurance and free seeds.
We regularly interview our AMS farmers about the progress they are making and the impact AMS is having on their livelihoods. Invariably they report that the costs of farming have been greatly reduced, usually by 40-50%, and their yields have increased, up by an average of 30%. The money they are making as a result makes a big impact on family life as they can more easily afford the basic necessities of life, which many of us take for granted. One of the main priorities for these families is access to education for their children and AMS is helping them to achieve this as money is available for the school books, uniform and bus fares so many children need in order to attend school. Another very encouraging change is that many of the younger generation are deciding to stay in the villages instead of migrating to the towns and cities in search of work. They are witnessing how a farming enterprise can lead to a stable income and better standard of living.
We hope you will continue to follow our progress here on Global Giving and also via our website and social media channels:
Thank you for your support
The Team at Shivia
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