8 NGOs Empowering Indian Farmers to Grow and Sustain

What is NGO in Agriculture?

NGOs in agriculture are majorly responsible for looking after the welfare of the farmers while additionally ensuring that the farmer’s rights are protected and that the farmers receive all the raw materials at the least possible cost for the highest quality.

NGOs Working For Farmers & Agriculture in India 

There are many NGOs in India that work for the welfare of farmers. These NGOs mostly operate from rural areas and entail a lot of groundwork. Let us look at all the NGOs in the country that are working for farmers and agriculture overall.

Top 8 NGOs for Farmers & Agriculture in India

India has many NGOs that work on the ground level to up help farmers and make agriculture easier for them. They also play a crucial role to ensure that farmers do not suffer at the hands of businessmen and middlemen.

Here’s a list of top NGOs working for Farmers and Agriculture:

1. Universal Versatile Society (UVS)

• Name: Universal Versatile Society (UVS)
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Narayan Solanke
• Founded: 2011
• Mission/Vision: Dedicated to serve the community, nation, and world by connecting donors with community-based projects, and coordinating available resources and expertise to promote sustainable rural development in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Area of Work: Agriculturer
• Place of Work: Akola
• Official Website: https://uvsociety.org/

2. Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR)

• Name: Watershed Organization Trust 
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Marcella D’Souza
• Founded: 1992
• Mission/Vision: Rejuvenating communities and eco-systems.
• Area of Work: Water, climate resilient farming, sustainable rural living, women empowerment and nutrition
• Place of Work: Maharashtra
• Official Website:https://wotr.org/about-us/

3. Dilasa Sanstha

• Name:Dilasa Sanstha
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Komal Madhukar Dhas
• Founded: 1994
• Mission/Vision: Promotes innovative and sustainable irrigation methods to support agricultural development
• Area of Work: Agriculture
• Place of Work: Maharashtra’s Vidarbha and Marathwada regions
• Official Website:http://www.dilasa.org/

4. Swades Foundation

• Name:Swades Foundation
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala
• Founded: 2013
• Mission/Vision: Aims at empowering rural India by incorporating innovative practices and the use of modern technology.
• Area of Work: Agriculture and farmer welfare, education, sanitisation
• Place of Work: India
• Official Website: https://swadesfoundation.org/

5. Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)

• Name: Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Deep Joshi and Vijay Mahajan
• Founded: 1983
• Mission/Vision: Skill dvelopment
• Area of Work: Food security, social mobilization, natural resoure management
• Place of Work: India 
• Official Website: https://www.pradan.net/

6. Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA)

• Name:Seven Sisters Development Assistance
• Types of Registration:SHG
• Founder: –
• Founded: 2011
• Mission/Vision: Strengthening Women Collectives
• Area of Work: Envisioning a vibrant, democratic and developed society with peace and harmony where every citizen is empowered and lives a dignified life.
• Place of Work: Assam
• Official Website:https://sesta.org/

7. Marathwada Navnirman Lokayat (MANAVLOK)

• Name: Marathwada Navnirman Lokayat
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Dwarkadas Shaligram Lohiya
• Founded: 2008
• Mission/Vision: MANAVLOK aims to solve the socio-economic problems of the community and achieve a better life for them
• Area of Work: Empowerment
• Place of Work: Maharashtra
• Official Website: http://manavlok.org/

8. End Poverty

• Name: End Poverty
• Types of Registration: NGO
• Founder: Prajwal Mishra, Mrinal Semwal
• Founded: 2009
• Mission/Vision: Purpose of poverty reduction in India through sustainable livelihood creation, girls education, rural development and civil society development
• Area of Work: Sustainable livelihood creation, girls education, rural development and civil society development
• Place of Work: Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi
• Official Website: https://www.endpoverty.org.in/

How do NGOs Help Farmers?

NGOs provide programmes for farmers and other stakeholders all around the world. Some of the prominent projects run by NGOs include capacity building, livelihood development, watershed development, market linkage, agricultural productivity enhancement, and boosting farm revenue. They run different programs for the farmers that ensure that the farmers are provided with options to build skill, educate and learn new ways of earning income. They also ensure that the farmers are not getting exploited at the hands of middlemen and corporates who often loot the farmers for their produce. 

What are the Organization Workings to Help the Farmers?

The Indian government began a new project known as the Green Revolution in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s and 1980s. Its goal was to boost India’s agriculture sector’s growth by enhancing the country’s crop production efficiency and productivity. Traditional farming methods were replaced with Westernized farming practises under the new project. The Green Revolution was expected to transform Indian agriculture, and it did for a while. With agriculture failing so many of India’s population, there has been an upsurge in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) assisting Indian farmers in reclaiming their livelihoods.

Institutions such as Save Indian farmers, Krushi Vikas Va Gramin Parashikshan Sanstha work for farmers.

What are the Schemes Available for Farmers?

There are various schemes available for Indian farmers. The government also tries to ensure that the farmer community is protected in the county and hence launches various support schemes. 

1. E-NAM

2. National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)

Schemes under NMSA

• Rainfed Area Development (RAD): RAD is being implemented by RFS Division
• Soil Health Management (SHM): SHM is being implemented by INM Division
• Sub Mission on Agro Forestry (SMAF): SMAF is being implemented by NRM Division
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): PKVY is being implemented by INM Division
• Soil and Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI): Being implemented by RFS Division
• National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA): Being implemented by RFS Division
• Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): Being implemented by INM Division
• National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF): Being implemented by INM Division
• Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institute (CFQC&TI): implemented by INM Division

3. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)

4. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)

5. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

6. Gramin Bhandaran Yojna

7. Livestock insurance Scheme

8. Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF)

And many more schemes that the government runs to benefit the farmers.

Farmers are important to our country and India takes special governmental and non-governmental steps to ensure their betterment.