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Improves livelihood of Uttarkhand farmers with agri tourism and selling their farm produce
“Uttarakhand villages are picturesque locations and people are simple and modest. The state has so much potential for growth and development that none of the residents need to migrate to cities and towns for work. But unfortunately it is all untapped and the villages are getting abandoned at a very alarming rate. We have taken the responsibility of rural development across the state and instigate reverse migration,” says Mr. P K Singh, Vice President, Green People.
Green People is working consistently to improve the livelihood of the villagers since 2014. The company was established by Mr. Rupesh Kumar Rai at New Delhi. “We wanted to bring the change in the villages based on its strength. Through detailed analysis it was found the strength of the state lies in tourism and agricultural produce. Hence we focused on these aspects and using our expertise on marketing and branding drew consumer’s attention towards Uttarakhand,” adds Mr. PK.
Company has two main operations run under the brand name Goat Village and Bakri Chhap. Goat Village provides the opportunity to countrymen to explore the nature’s hidden beauty at remotely located villages. Bakri Chhap brings the organically grown super foods in these villages to urban Indian market.
Goat Village
“We create goat villages with the aim to keep intact the essence of Uttarakhand villages for villagers as well as travelers. Goat village promises breathtaking natural beauty and hospitality benevolence to the guests. At the same time self-esteem of villagers is boosted to host city dwellers in their village and earn some add-on income,” highlights Mr. PK. As of now three goat villages have been developed at three different locations namely Nagtibba near Mussoorie, Dayara Bugyal near Uttarkashi and Kanatal near Dhanolti.
When asked about the distinctive features of goat village, Mr. PK responds, “It is rustic! Guests will be purely in the lap of nature. These villages have no road connectivity as these are situated on hill tops or deep inside the forest. To reach the destination, guest park their vehicle to the last point and trek from there for 45-60 minutes.” The cottages fulfill the basic requirements of stay such as clean washrooms, comfortable mattress, pillows and bedspreads. Guests are served local authentic food. “The cottages have solar power instead of electricity in order to have almost zero carbon emission. There is no internet or mobile network so guests keep themselves busy by visiting farmlands, interacting with farmers to know more about the farming activities, understanding the local culture and bonding with their family.”
The cottages are built in the bona fide architecture of Uttarakhand known as ‘Koti Banal”. It implies exclusive use of mud, stone and wood. “Koti Banal architecture is in alliance with climatic conditions of the state and is resistant to natural calamities such as earthquake, intense rainfall etc. Besides as the walls are plastered with raw mud it has natural insulation capability. Along with the new cottages we have also renovated old homes into home-stays. These are managed by the local youth thereby increasing the employment possibilities in the village,” he states. The youth are trained at five star hotels in all the departments and then placed at the home stays at the competitive salaries applicable in hospitality sector.
Speaking about the brand name, Mr. PK clarifies, “Goat is the most widespread livestock of any village culture. It is like an ATM to the villagers as it is source of income by selling its milk and dung. Further during the financial crunch goat can be sold anytime and villagers can get money. So we wanted to emphasize significance of goat in the villages. We are quite successful in getting the attention we aspired to promote agri-tourism in Uttarakhand.”
Bakri Chhap
Agricultural crops grown in Uttarakhand state are considered to be power pack of nutrients for the human beings such as buck wheat, amaranth, different types of millets etc. In addition as these crops are grown without any chemical the nutrient contents is further increased by many folds. These agricultural commodities have a good demand in the market but farmers are leaving farming at a frightening rate of 8% every year! Reasons identified were natural calamities, very low income from farm produce and severe price exploitation by middleman. “Taking the problems into consideration we decided to sell the farm produce of these farmers in urban markets ensuring to give them the best price possible. Bakri Chhap is a brand of the 'farmers' and for the 'farmers’,” asserts Mr. PK.
Products are collected directly from the farmers’ door step or farm gate across Uttarakhand. It is not restricted to only goat villages. “Our mobile collection centers give them on-spot cash payment against the purchase of the agricultural commodities. With no question asked on quality we pay them instantly and ensure to pay 20% higher price than the local mandi rates,” elaborated Mr. PK on the purchase of the farm produces.
The products are later sorted based on its quality and packed for sale. “In this we take assistance of many self-help groups working in the villages. We also value add the products like making flour, goat milk cheese and so on,” he adds. Presently there are 20 products sold by Bakri Chhap, a good mix of cereals, grains, pulses, milk, fruit & vegetables, mono flora and wild honey. As of now these products are sold in New Delhi, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Rishikesh, Kolkata and Mumbai. On the packing details of growers is published to give the farmer due recognition.
Sharing future plans Mr. PK concludes, “Life of the farmer is improving consistently. We shall be developing more goat villages and connecting with more farmers for Bakri Chhap.”
Contact details:
Green People
Near Bhadri Guest House, Kedarpur, Dehradun (UK) - 248 001
Phone:+91-7252007597
Email: info@grppl.in
Website: http://www.grppl.in/
“Uttarakhand villages are picturesque locations and people are simple and modest. The state has so much potential for growth and development that none of the residents need to migrate to cities and towns for work. But unfortunately it is all untapped and the villages are getting abandoned at a very alarming rate. We have taken the responsibility of rural development across the state and instigate reverse migration,” says Mr. P K Singh, Vice President, Green People.
Green People is working consistently to improve the livelihood of the villagers since 2014. The company was established by Mr. Rupesh Kumar Rai at New Delhi. “We wanted to bring the change in the villages based on its strength. Through detailed analysis it was found the strength of the state lies in tourism and agricultural produce. Hence we focused on these aspects and using our expertise on marketing and branding drew consumer’s attention towards Uttarakhand,” adds Mr. PK.
Company has two main operations run under the brand name Goat Village and Bakri Chhap. Goat Village provides the opportunity to countrymen to explore the nature’s hidden beauty at remotely located villages. Bakri Chhap brings the organically grown super foods in these villages to urban Indian market.
Goat Village
“We create goat villages with the aim to keep intact the essence of Uttarakhand villages for villagers as well as travelers. Goat village promises breathtaking natural beauty and hospitality benevolence to the guests. At the same time self-esteem of villagers is boosted to host city dwellers in their village and earn some add-on income,” highlights Mr. PK. As of now three goat villages have been developed at three different locations namely Nagtibba near Mussoorie, Dayara Bugyal near Uttarkashi and Kanatal near Dhanolti.
When asked about the distinctive features of goat village, Mr. PK responds, “It is rustic! Guests will be purely in the lap of nature. These villages have no road connectivity as these are situated on hill tops or deep inside the forest. To reach the destination, guest park their vehicle to the last point and trek from there for 45-60 minutes.” The cottages fulfill the basic requirements of stay such as clean washrooms, comfortable mattress, pillows and bedspreads. Guests are served local authentic food. “The cottages have solar power instead of electricity in order to have almost zero carbon emission. There is no internet or mobile network so guests keep themselves busy by visiting farmlands, interacting with farmers to know more about the farming activities, understanding the local culture and bonding with their family.”
The cottages are built in the bona fide architecture of Uttarakhand known as ‘Koti Banal”. It implies exclusive use of mud, stone and wood. “Koti Banal architecture is in alliance with climatic conditions of the state and is resistant to natural calamities such as earthquake, intense rainfall etc. Besides as the walls are plastered with raw mud it has natural insulation capability. Along with the new cottages we have also renovated old homes into home-stays. These are managed by the local youth thereby increasing the employment possibilities in the village,” he states. The youth are trained at five star hotels in all the departments and then placed at the home stays at the competitive salaries applicable in hospitality sector.
Speaking about the brand name, Mr. PK clarifies, “Goat is the most widespread livestock of any village culture. It is like an ATM to the villagers as it is source of income by selling its milk and dung. Further during the financial crunch goat can be sold anytime and villagers can get money. So we wanted to emphasize significance of goat in the villages. We are quite successful in getting the attention we aspired to promote agri-tourism in Uttarakhand.”
Bakri Chhap
Agricultural crops grown in Uttarakhand state are considered to be power pack of nutrients for the human beings such as buck wheat, amaranth, different types of millets etc. In addition as these crops are grown without any chemical the nutrient contents is further increased by many folds. These agricultural commodities have a good demand in the market but farmers are leaving farming at a frightening rate of 8% every year! Reasons identified were natural calamities, very low income from farm produce and severe price exploitation by middleman. “Taking the problems into consideration we decided to sell the farm produce of these farmers in urban markets ensuring to give them the best price possible. Bakri Chhap is a brand of the 'farmers' and for the 'farmers’,” asserts Mr. PK.
Products are collected directly from the farmers’ door step or farm gate across Uttarakhand. It is not restricted to only goat villages. “Our mobile collection centers give them on-spot cash payment against the purchase of the agricultural commodities. With no question asked on quality we pay them instantly and ensure to pay 20% higher price than the local mandi rates,” elaborated Mr. PK on the purchase of the farm produces.
The products are later sorted based on its quality and packed for sale. “In this we take assistance of many self-help groups working in the villages. We also value add the products like making flour, goat milk cheese and so on,” he adds. Presently there are 20 products sold by Bakri Chhap, a good mix of cereals, grains, pulses, milk, fruit & vegetables, mono flora and wild honey. As of now these products are sold in New Delhi, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Rishikesh, Kolkata and Mumbai. On the packing details of growers is published to give the farmer due recognition.
Sharing future plans Mr. PK concludes, “Life of the farmer is improving consistently. We shall be developing more goat villages and connecting with more farmers for Bakri Chhap.”
Contact details:
Green People
Near Bhadri Guest House, Kedarpur, Dehradun (UK) - 248 001
Phone:+91-7252007597
Email: info@grppl.in
Website: http://www.grppl.in/