Empowering Women Farmers in Punjab: The Success Story of Project STREE, Punjab under the GTB and HDFC Parivartan Initiative.

Ludhiana, September 20, 2024: Launched in 2022, Project STREE (Social Transformative Rural Economic Empowerment) is a collaborative effort by Grant Thornton Bharat LLP and HDFC Bank Parivartan. It aims to transform the lives of women farmers across Punjab's Barnala, Moga, Rupnagar, and Ludhiana districts by equipping them with the skills and resources needed for economic independence.

The project has established 17 Women Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), each having over 500 women shareholders in each FPC, impacting over 25,000 women in four districts. These FPCs are making significant strides in various agricultural sectors and have resulted in a 20%-25% improvement in cattle health and milk yields through collaborations with GADVASU, PDDB, and AHB Suraksha. In addition, experts from the Dutch NGO PUM provide on-field health diagnostics and teleconsultations to enhance cattle health management.

Women farmers are being provided facilitation in bank Linkages and credit connect to undertake input procurement, aggregation and marketing and common facility operation activities. On the other hand, facilitating digitization and transparency as well as ease of doing business through assets like laptops, printers, and tablets being provided to these women Farmer Producer Companies by HDFC Parivartan.

FPCs are promoting diversification through initiatives like Basmati rice cultivation and Maize Silage production and providing subsidized inputs while leveraging drone technology. One significant achievement is the FPCs securing agricultural input licenses, allowing them to operate input shops that supply high-quality supplies to members, generating a collective revenue of INR 3 Cr. These Farmer Producers Companies are providing the timely distribution of fertilizers and supplying high quality seeds to their member farmers at fair prices.

Project STREE takes women empowerment to a new level through the Namo Drone Didi scheme and a partnership with IFFCO, training 23 women as drone pilots. This equips them to offer drone-based services and earn additional income, furthering their economic independence.

The project has also led to inspiring success stories such as that of Jaswinder Kaur, a member of a Sukhmani Farmer Producer Company, who launched a wheat flour mill with STREE's support and received drone piloting training. Similarly, Sarbjit Kaur's women-led company cultivated Basmati rice and secured direct contracts with shellers, generating huge turnovers. On top of it, offering training on Mushroom Cultivation, Vermicompost, etc., as an additional source of income to these women is also a motive of this firm. Furthermore, capacity building of women farmers as to develop additional source of livelihood during off season periods through skill and design development. Lastly, assisting in Paddy Straw Management to overcome environmental and climate risk due to residue burning in certain villages.These all above given interventions have boosted an overall household income of farmers to an extent of 30%-40%.

Manpreet Singh, Manager in GT Bharat cum State Team Leader told the project's success is driven by a dedicated team of 21 people in above-mentioned four districts led by Sh.Tarun Baijnath and Sh.V.Padmanand partners in GT Bharat LLP who are supporting the above FPCs in Policy advocacy with the state govt and Deputy Commissioners Office as to ensure input licenses for FPCs as well as infrastructure support. Also, support in enabling convergence with various state and central govt scheme and partnerships with numerous Business Development Service Provider.  

This team's strength lies in its diversity, with experts from top management institutes (IIM Ahmedabad, IRMA, Symbiosis) and agricultural institutes (Punjab Agricultural University - PAU) working collaboratively to empower rural women in Punjab. Project STREE's innovative approach is unlocking the potential of women farmers, propelling them towards a brighter future, as evidenced by the recognition received during 5th February dissemination workshop with the Punjab Minister of Agriculture Sh. Gurmeet Singh Khuddian.