Participatory Guarantee System helps uplift farmers from Nongtraw

Blog by –Karalin Rani (Convenor, Iatreilang PGS group) from Nongtraw community.

Karalin Rani interacts with customers at the Mei-Ramew Farmers’ market

ENGLISH:

In the year 2012, NESFAS approached Nongtraw to help the farmers of the community along with the Dorbar of the village. With the help of the oraganisation, the farmers were able to understand the concept of traditional farming and practise the same in their fields. This way they were able to sell their products at a reasonable price as the produce was chemical-free and in a better condition.

NESFAS senior associates Janak Preet Singh and Pius Ranee along with Ruth Sohtun, who is the field coordinator of the community, have helped uplift the youth of Nongtraw and also impart knowledge on the importance of traditional knowledge. For example: millet is a cereal crop which was on the verge of extinction but is a comfort crop for the farmers. NESFAS has helped bring it back and now most farmers across Nongtraw grow millet and sell to other villages and even to Shillong city.

To strengthen this type of farming more, NESFAS has helped the community build a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) wherein two groups of community members: Iatreilang PGS and Ryntihlang PGS were formed in 2019. The produce of these two groups have grown magnificently over the last few months and with the help of Ruth, the groups have received their official PGS certificate from the Organic Council of India on October 17, 2019.

The profit of the farmers has gone up to 67% from 30%, with the help of NESFAS. They received Rs. 500 a week and no longer Rs. 300 as they previously did. The farmers also get the chance to participate in the monthly Mei-Ramew Farmers market which is hosted in Shillong.

KHASI:

Ka Participatory Guarantee System (PGS); ka kyntiew ia ka ioh ka kot ki Nongrep.

Ka jingwan jong ka office NESFAS naduh u snem 2012 haduh mynta ngi dang iaitrei ryngkat ryngkat ia ki kam kiba ia dei bad ka rep ka riang ha ryngkat bad ka Dorbar Shnong Nongtraw. Dei lyngba ka jingwan ka office NESFAS, ngi la ioh shibun ki jingmut bad jinghikai khamtam ha kaba ia dei bad ka rep tynrai (shyrtie) ba kumno ba ngin dang kham pynbha shuh shuh bad ban pyniaid iew ia ki mar rep bad ki jingbam tynrai kiba khlem ai dawai na ka shnong jong ngi. Da ka jingai jinghikai bad jingmut jong ki nongtrei ka NESFAS kiba kynthup ia Janak Preet Singh, Pius Ranee bad Ruth Sohtun ba ki nongshong shnong khamtam ki khun samla ki la sdang ban hikai ialade kumno ban rep ban riang khamtam ia ki jingbam tynrai. U krai u dei uwei na ki mar rep uba ai jingshngaiñ bad jingim ia ngi ki nongrep. Hynrei, kat nang mih ki snem une u jingbam tynrai u lah jan duhjait noh namar la duna ki nongrep kiba rep ia u. Hynrei ka NESFAS ka la pynkyndit bynriew ia ngi ki nongrep bad ruh ia ki nongshong shnong baroh ban nang pynbha bad nang pynmih shibun ia une u jingthung bad mynta la jan baroh ki nongshong shnong ki la sdang biang ban rep ia une u krai. Mynta une u mar rep u la long uwei na ki lad kamai ia ngi namar ba u la iaid iew haduh katta katta.

Ban kham pynkiew bad iaid iew shuh shuh ki mar rep jong ngi ki nongshong shnong, kum ka seng ruh ka la shim da kawei ka sur ban kyntiew shuh shuh ia ka shnong bad ruh ia ki mar rep jong ngi ka la phorm da ka kynhun ki nongrep ba la tip kum ka Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) ha u snem 2019. Ka la phorm ar tylli ki group kiba tip kum ka Iatreilang PGS bad ka Ryntihlang PGS ha kaba ngi ia don mar 6 ngut shi group. Lyngba ka jingseng ia kine ki group ki mar rep kiba mih na shnong jong ngi ki la kham iaid iew bad ki briew ki la kham ithuh bad tip ia ki jingbam bad rep tynrai jong ngi. Da ka jingtreishitom jong i Kong Ruth Sohtun iba dei I field Co-ordinator jong ka NESFAS, ngi la ia ka certificate na ka Organic Council lyngba ka NESFAS kata ha ka 17.10.2019.

Kaba pynkmen bad pynioh mynsiem shuh shuh ia ngi ki nongrep ka long ba ngi la ia phylliew jingmut lang da baroh ki 12 ngut ki member ia ka jingai jingmut jong ki nongtrei ka NESFAS ban die ia ki mar rep shisien shi taiew kata ha ka sngi iew rit Sohra (Umni)da kaba wai da ka kali ban lei die ia ki mar rep jong ngi da kaba leit tyrwa bad iaid man la ki shnong kiba marjan. Ka jingiaid iew bad kiew ki mar rep jong ngi ka la sdang kiew shuh shuh na ka 30% sha ka 67%. Nalor kata, ngi ju ia shim bynta ruh ha ka iew ki nongrep ba la pynlong da ka NESFAS ha Shillong.

Dei lyngba ka jingtreishitom ka NESFAS, ba ki member baroh bad ki nongrep tynrai ki la kham kiew khamtam ha kaba leit die ia ki mar rep jong ngi kata ka long na ka 300 tyngka sha ka 500 tyngka shi taiew.