Strengthening Farmers’ Livelihoods through the Farmers’ Hub in Sohiong

I visited the Farmer’s Hub for the first time to buy seeds, as farming is something I truly enjoy. After I plant those seeds, I produce more seeds and bring them here to the Hub to sell. I see this as a great benefit for farmers, because they can access seeds that are produced locally by themselves. Moreover, we are now able to provide vegetable seeds as well. There is no longer a need to travel all the way to Shillong to buy them, since they are available right here at the Block. This saves travel expenses and makes it easier for farmers to access vegetable seeds for their own fields. Many farmers were not fully aware at first, but once they started coming regularly to the Office of the Block Development Officer and received support from the BDO, it has helped a lot. Through Smart Village Movement’s initiative the farmers are also able to get good-quality seeds from this Hub.
 — Diangtihun Jyrwa Nongsiej (Field Coordinator)

I have been here at the Thwei Jingtip Farmer’s Hub, Sohiong Block, under the Smart Village Movement since 2023. I am also one of the entrepreneurs managing this Hub. From the time I joined, I faced many challenges, especially in reaching out to the farmers. But what encouraged me greatly was the support of the BDO, who motivated us not to lose hope and to work together with the Office of the Block Development Officer to address the issues faced by farmers.
We have been able to provide seeds and agricultural tools, such as pumps, sprayers, power weeders, and other equipment, to support farmers in small but meaningful ways. I am grateful to SVM for being part of this journey, especially in organizing the marketing of the farmers’ produce. Through collaboration with KhetiBatti, we have been able to take the farmers’ vegetables to Guwahati. Instead of traveling all the way to Iewduh to sell their produce at a lower price, we can sell the vegetables through the Hub itself, and the farmers also receive a fair price.
The challenges are many, but through hard work, I have been able to work closely with the farmers to support them. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate with Kong Diang, who has been a great help in this effort. I sincerely thank her, and I believe together we can make this initiative even stronger.
One positive aspect now is that the number of farmers purchasing seeds from this Hub has significantly increased. The participation of farmers visiting the Hub has also grown. We have also been able to support SHGs in starting kitchen gardens by providing them with seeds according to their needs, at a lower price than in the market.
 — Letizia Lyngdoh Mawphlang (Entrepreneur)