Every first Sunday, farmers from across Tamil Nadu who practise organic farming descend on Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya for Oor Sandhai. Last month marked this event’s first anniversary.
Organised by Semmai Samugam, the one-year-old Sandhai has registered a two-fold growth — the variety of items it sources has increased significantly and so has the number of farmers it has brought on board.
On the success of the initiative, Rajarajan, coordinator of Oor Sandhai, says the market has helped break down barriers between the producer and the consumer.
“Prices of vegetables and fruits are high due to the role played by middlemen. The initiative has helped sell organic vegetables at affordable prices,” says Rajarajan.
When the market opened a year ago, it received over 100 customers. Now, it has increased five fold.
Besides shops selling rice, wheat, jaggery, sweets made from millets, honey, fruits and vegetables, those dealing with handicrafts and promoting traditional games such as pallanguzhi display their offerings, thereby giving shoppers a unique shopping experience.
Once a farmer agrees to be a part of the sandhai, a team from the Samugam visits the agricultural land of the farmer, to check if the vegetables are indeed being grown organically.
The profits earned by the farmers go entirely to them.
The Samugam gets their funds from the entry fee that they levy upon the visitors, and the voluntary donations they receive.
A hour-long speech by Senthamizhan Maniarasan on lifestyle-related topics is among the highlights of the event.
The Samugam has passed a stricture on the farmers, preventing them from selling any goods with a profit margin higher than 10%. The sandhai has been witnessing great patronage from farmers and shoppers.
“I have been receiving many private orders,” says Ahalya, who has been selling sweets and snacks for the last seven months.
Gandhi Prabakhar, an engineer who owns an agricultural land in Srivilliputtur and sells different varieties of honey and organic gooseberries, says: “You know half the farmers here are working professionals who want to contribute to society in some way.”
The Semmai Samugam has many more plans for the year.
“More than promoting it as a place for selling and buying goods, I want to make it a place for like-minded people to gather and develop a sense of community,” says Senthamizhan, founder of Semmai Samugam.
