EWOK Agriculture
EWOK is promoting 3 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) with funding from NABARD. The model adopted is “Farmer-Academia (IITMandi) – NGO (EWOK) – Industry”. A Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) under the NABARD mission promotes sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity. EWOK + IIT Mandi provides credit support, business incubation and agritech innovations.
FPO 1: EWOK Agro Products Producer Company (EAPPCo): Initially with 10 members from 9 villages of Mandi district. Their core business is potatoes, peas & other vegetables (including exotics iceberg lettuce, broccoli, etc). The quality and productivity are being continually improved with scientific advice from IIT Mandi.
FPO2: EWOK Mid-Himalayan Farmers Producer Co (EMFPC) has 23 members from Sakaryar, Tihri and Navlaya panchayats of Mandi district, Himachal. The core business is cultivation of high altitude plants such as medicinal herbs. Cultivation practices were optimized after research and analysis over the last two years in the Medicinal Plants Lab, IITMandi, under the supervision of Dr. Shyam Masakapalli. Currently, EMFPC is harvesting and selling vacuum-dried rhododendron preserving its nutrition.
ThapasuFoods, Manali is the industry partner for sales.
FPO3: EWOK Medicinal & Aromatic Plants FPC (EMAP): 22 members, Kamand, Katindhi, Navlaya, Batheri, Kataula, Tihri, and Sakaryar villages of Mandi district, HimachalPradesh. Core business Medicinal/Aromatic Plants & Herbs.
A permanent distillation unit is being installed to extract aromatic oil for value addition.
Industry partner Natural Biotech Products
Herbal infusions packaging by women self-help group from herbs grown by EWOKMandi farmers. Scientific assessment by Medicinal Plant Lab, IIT Mandi. Marketing by industry partner THAPASU Foods
Aromatic Oil Crop – Tagetes
With the help of IIT Mandi Medicinal Plants Lab and CSIR-IHBT Palampur’s Aroma Mission, aromatic crop Tagetes was introduced to farmers to restart earning from cultivable land abandoned due to wild animal menace.
EWOK Entrepreneurship
EWOK also provides individual assistance, mentors, and guidance for women seeking to set up their own businesses in the non-farm sector. We have guided 12+ individual businesses led by women. One of our very first incubated venture, Shakeela’s boutique was the first woman to own a shop in Salgi. We have guided four women to register as horticultural contractors. They are now employing 65 women and men and have had a total turnover of 65 lakh rupees.
EWOK Training and Skilling
EWOK offers courses for local women wishing to improve their spoken English and gain basic computer skills. These courses are affiliated with the NIIT Foundation. Women completing the courses receive government-approved certification. 36 women have received certifications. 7 women have landed internships in data entry and web development. From time to time various workshops are also held to impart domains specific skills trainings.
