Online platform ‘TGreens’ helps mango farmers to sell produce
An initiative of Horticulture dept and Kalgudi Digital takes orders for mangoes and deliver them to customers in different States
Hyderabad: About 90,000 mango farmers from Telangana now have access to a marketing network that will allow them to sell their produce in multiple States and for a better price. This is possible due to the efforts of the State Horticulture Department and Kalgudi Digital, a Hyderabad-based company that works to support farmers in multiple ways.
Both have now set up TGreens.in, an online platform that will take orders from people for mangoes and deliver them to the customers. Apart from retail customers, the platform is also tapping opportunities in other States, where there is a demand for mangoes from Telangana.
Though started recently, it has delivered more than 200 tonnes and hopes to increase it to 8,000 to 10,000 tonnes, said Raj Vallabhaneni, chief executive officer, Kalgudi Digital.
“We have about 90,000 mango farmers on our platform. We are now a B2C as well as a B2B platform,” he said. The mangoes collected from multiple locations are transferred to its warehouse at Medchal for grading, sorting and packaging and then sent to customers. For local orders, which are taken in units of 5kg, it takes about four to five days to be delivered after harvesting. The ripening is done using natural methods and not carbide, he said.
The platform is ensuring at least 15 to 20 per cent more price than the market to farmers. It can go up to 50 per cent more depending on additional responsibilities the farmers adopt – sorting, care while cutting, using grass beneath and so on.
According to Vallabhaneni, mangoes are now being sourced from Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Jagityal and areas known for their local varieties. Banginapalli is famous mainly because of its volume and taste compared to the ones from other States. Himayat, also known as imam passand, is also popular, mainly due to its thin skin, abundant pulp, and taste.
“Banginapalli is popular as Safeda in the northern States. Likewise, Sindhura is known as Gulabkhas and Suvarnarekha is known as Sundari. Our local farmers were not aware of this. Middlemen were buying here and selling in those States for a premium. Now, we are tapping the markets directly to fetch better prices for the farmers,” he said.
Its progress will depend on how Covid will unfold in the weeks to come. “We do not use polish so the fruit colour will be different. There will be complete traceability of the mangoes- who and where it was produced, who harvested and the process adopted. This info will be accessible via the QR code on the packaging unit,” said Vallabhaneni.
TGreens is also working with self-help groups to make value-added products like pickles, for which it will offer marketing support. It has plans to add more seasonal fruits and vegetables as well on the platform.
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