About Us

Introduction

Bihar is an agrarian based economy with most of the population residing in rural areas being indulged in agricultural activities either directly or indirectly. It is the largest producer of vegetables, which is dominated by potato, onion, eggplant & cauliflower and ranks among top five vegetable producing states in India. There are several relevant numerous factor which disintegrate vegetable value chain and make it complex such as transportation, logistics, packaging, sorting, grading and post harvest losses thus it became very difficult for farmers to sustain in these circumstances and situations.

To address these inherent challenges and edify vegetable growers from misery and poverty, the Cooperative Department, Government of Bihar has launched a scheme, namely, Bihar state Vegetable Processing and Marketing Scheme. The objective of this scheme is to establish a brand of trust in the society by marketing the vegetable produced in the state under umbrella brand “Tarkaari”

Bihar State Vegetable Processing and Marketing Scheme aims at creating a virtuous cycle for vegetable producers and consumers through three tier cooperative structure i.e. primary vegetable cooperative societies (PVCS) at grassroots/farmer/block level, Unions at cluster (a group of districts) level and an apex federation at state level. This scheme aims at organizing Bihar’s state vegetable producer into three tier cooperative structures for ensuring remunerative prices to farmers and standard quality vegetable at reasonable price to consumers and to eliminate middle men.

A federation has been established under which there are two unions operating presently, namely – Tirhut Union for East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts and Harit Union for Patna, Nalanda, Vaishali, Samastipur and Begusarai districts. Vegetable farmers have been mobilized and federated into PVCS in most of the blocks. Since the main function of PVCS is collection and aggregation of vegetables from farmer members and supplying them to their respective unions after primary processing. We have created 168 PVCS as of now for the supplying of vegetables on day to day business transaction.

Mission

Organizing Bihar’s vegetable producer into cooperative structure for ensuring remunerative prices to vegetable growers and standard quality vegetables at reasonable price to consumers.

Vision

Har Thali Mein Bihari Tarkaari

Objective

The main objective of this scheme is to provide consumer farm fresh vegetables round the year at reasonable and affordable price. This is being achieved by adopting sustainable models of vegetable production and sale of fresh & processed vegetables through setting exclusive vegetable retails outlets, door to door services, mobile retail vans, online buying. With the initiative of the Government of Bihar- Bihar State Vegetable Processing and Marketing Scheme intends to safeguard the interest of vegetable growers and consumers by building a direct vegetable supply chain networks within and outside the state. Thus the main aim and agenda of this scheme is to ensure remunerative price to the vegetable producers of the state and to provide standard quality vegetable products at competitive rates to the consumer. Overall objective is to:

• Establish a farmer’s vegetable supply chain network in and outside Bihar
• Minimize the post harvest losses by enhancing the product shelf life
• Value addition by processing, packaging and branding the product
• Bridge demand and supply gap of fresh & Quality vegetables
• Increase in vegetable production and productivity in the state
• Provide training and extension services to the vegetable growers
• Generate employment opportunities and enhance the income of vegetable growers
• Eliminating the middlemen from the system
• Establishing retail outlets for retailing of business
• Creation of a central vegetable processing hub at union level
• Creation of collection centres and permanent marketing infrastructure at PVCS level

Working Mechanism

The scheme is working actively on organizing vegetable farmers. It seeks to envisage membership strength of 1,000 farmers at each PVCS and covers more than two lakh farmers. Supply chain management maintains the balance between the demand and supply and involves activities right from procurement of materials and converting them into finished goods for ensuring delivery at the right time to reach the end consumer. Hence supply chain management is the life of an organization.

The farmers directly sell the produced vegetable to PVCS at higher prices compared to open market. The primary motive of the unions is to maximize the income of farmers. The unions directly procure from farmers through PVCS and payment is made through the bank on the same day. This mechanism entails to connect the farmer directly to the consumer for ensuring remunerative prices to farmers, and quality vegetables at reasonable prices to customers. This will further helps and boost farmers’ income by reducing the wastages. Thus it will also promote the best practices of farming, maintain marketing information system, diversifying and raising levels of knowledge and skills in agricultural production and post harvest processing that will add value to products.

In coming days, Bihar state vegetable processing and marketing cooperative federation Ltd will have state wide coverage. Currently we have formulated two unions under the federation (a) Harit Vegetable Processing and Marketing Cooperative Union Ltd (b) Tirhut Vegetable Processing and Marketing Cooperative Union Ltd. The two unions comprise around 12,000+ Vegetable growers across 10 districts of Bihar. We have also forayed into B2B sales with the big institutional players and the federation as an apex institution is playing a very important role for the constant supply of vegetables during the pandemic and lock down scenario. The solitary objective of VEGFED, Bihar is to establish a brand of trust in the society and the farm community by marketing the vegetables under umbrella brand “Tarkaari”

Bihar State Vegetable Processing & Marketing Scheme foresees all the supply chain intermediaries by start off the primary vegetable cooperative societies (PVCS) at the Block level. We are also developing a collection centre cum marketing yard with all the basic amenities of cleaning, sorting and grading facility at every PVCS level. The civil components that are being developed at each PVCS are Boundary walls, Earth work filling, and Market yard cum Apni mandi, washing, cleaning, sorting, grading & Packaging shed, office, guard room, internal road, Utilities etc. All the 95 PVCS under Harit Vegetable Processing & Marketing Cooperative Union Ltd., Patna needs to be enabled with 10 MT Multi chambered cold storage facility installed at the premises for temporary storage of fresh vegetables at PVCS level. The Bihar State Building Corporation Ltd has been mandated for activating all the 95 societies at turnkey basis on ready to plug and play model. The tentative budgetary cost for the same is tabulated below.

The Federation (VEGFED) is the nodal agency implementing this project on hub and spokes model. The PVCS are the spokes feeding the fresh vegetables to the Union. We have a plan to develop the 50 acre of land at Patna. The hub is processed to be equipped with necessary facilities such as multi chambered cold rooms, IQF hall, administrative block, parking shed, compost plant, security cabin, Utilities like toilets, garden, water tank etc.

At the present scenario we have accomplished the market linkages with some of the big entities/Firms for the outsourcing of fresh farm Vegetables and making this vegetable scheme as an extensive and magnificent as a whole. Some of the prominent players in these lists are as below:-

• Big Bazar
• Big Basket
• Jio Mart
• Metro cash & carry
• Knids Green limited
• Agrowave
• Udaan
• Go for fresh
• Ninjacart
• Neml
• Crofarm

Benefit to Society

This project will generate employment opportunities for the state in addition there shall be daily requirement of labourers for vegetable handling and processing activities. This integrated vegetable supply chain for Bihar state will help vegetable growers of the districts to find a better market place where they can sell their agricultural produce and they can get the actual price for their production. The upgraded supply chain will reduce inefficiencies and will lead to proper handling, and minimization of post harvest wastage which will further reduce the overhead costs of supply chain and enhance the earning of farmers. This structure will also help the farmer to diversify their production across different vegetables which will be a step towards doubling of farmer’s income.