GREECE SHOWS THE ONLY WAY HOW THE FARMERS WILL BENEFIT ALONG WITH CUSTOMERS

March 17, 2012 — KATERINI, Greece (AP) — The leader of a project that helps Greek farmers sell their food products directly to customers at bargain prices hopes to build a Europe-wide network that would bypass middlemen while benefiting local producers and consumers.

 

On Saturday, Elias Tsolakidis was in the northern Greek town of Katerini where he oversaw the sale of 101 tons of flour in the scheme. The flour producers said they sold their product at cost — €0.50 ($0.66) per kilogram. Nearly 2,100 people, all of whom had ordered the flour in advance, turned out on foot and in cars, motorbikes and bicycles to pick up their orders in 5-kilo sacks.

Had those people gone to supermarkets, they likely would have shelled out around €1.20 per kilogram, Tsolakidis said. Meanwhile, the association of flour producers that sold the products noted that the flour was made from local, and not imported, wheat.

For producers, selling the flour at cost was a good deal in part because they could get their money immediately instead of waiting for months from checks promised by middlemen. It's possible, however, that as the project continues, they could decide to raise their prices above cost.

The direct sale effort comes as Greece struggles with a severe financial crisis that has seen pensions and salaries slashed and led to skyrocketing unemployment of over 20 percent. Tsolakidis is Greek, but works as technical director at the European College of Sport Science, in Cologne, Germany, an organization that does research on physical activity and sports.

Last month, he contacted potato farmers in the town of Nevrokopi, close to Greece's border with Bulgaria, and convinced them to sell their product directly to consumers. The effort was a hit with both the farmers and the customers. The farmers said they were basically forced to sell their potatoes to middlemen at €0.11 per kilogram, while it cost them €0.20 per kilogram to grow them. Supermarkets sold the potatoes at about €0.70 per kilogram. Now, after several direct sales across Greece, supermarkets are selling potatoes at prices as low as €0.29 per kilogram.

Tsolakidis wants to take effort beyond Greece's borders. "We already have small, grassroots organizations in Europe in direct contact with producers ... we have got in touch with such organizations in France and Spain," he told The Associated Press.

On Saturday, Tsolakidis ensured that 96 volunteers turned out to help distribute the flour. The customers, meanwhile, said they were grateful for the good prices — but also wanted to make a bigger point. "This is a message to the middlemen and their excessive profits," said 35-year-old Thanos Hryssikos, as he loaded his scooter with flour sacks. "The important thing is to prop up the producers and, at the same time, help consumers," added 67-year-old Katerina Tsiribasi, who had ordered 70 kilograms of flour. 

Tsolakidis said rice and olive growers also have expressed interest in the direct sale model.

FCI SHOULD LEARN FROM TRIBAL KORKU OF MELGHAT HOW TO SAFEGUARD FOOD GRAINS

58,000 crores / billions worth of food grains are allowed to rot in the open by the nation every single year !

Sheer CALLOUSNESS or should one say the nation's INEFFICIENCY ?

The farmers' community slog day and night in hot sun, high temperatures, heavy rains and chilly winter... and imagine how one must feel about the huge wastage of food grains when the nation has the highest hunger index, beating even the poor African nations...

I keep wondering all the time, how can the government turn a blind eye... but then it is a well-laid plan so that the kith and kins of corrupt politicians, who own liquor distilleries can buy these rotten food grains to turn them into high profit liquor to be served in the five stars!

Wonder of wonders, what is the so-called highly educated planners of the nation in the Planning Commission are doing to prevent such a huge national wastage? NOTHING! Yes, NOTHING!

Mind you these figure of 58,000 crores / billions is the official acknowledgement by the nation's Agriculture Minister... as we all know, the government always tend to lower the statistics in such cases... so the actual figure must be double or triple the announced figure!

During my recent visit to various states, everywhere I witnessed that FCI have ample of space but not sufficient buildings to store grains, while they are out in the open at the mercy of nature... WHY? In the past 65 years, we, as the nation couldn't even build sufficient storage system to safeguard our food grains while millions of poor die of hunger. And our Minister of External Affairs SM Krishna goes to Burma and donate them hi-tech Silos, while the nation is without any such modern system...

Unlike the callous nation, who plan flawlessly year after year to allow huge wastage of food grains (in every state) to rot, the tribal Korku are very progressive in nature. Since they are so-so poor, they cannot even have the luxury to waste even a morsel of food. They may be illiterate but are much-much more intelligent than all the so-called highly educated Planning Commission Officials. Their simple bare minimum huts / homes may not have any belongings or even a suitcase / trunk / cupboard but more than 90 % of them have two custom made Silos to safeguard their food grains, cultivated with blood and sweat. Each house / hut has two huge Silos to store their yearly production, so that the family is well-fed throughout the year.

It is indeed an amazing feat that one will never get to read in any of the leading newspapers or see on news channels of the world. The conspicuous presence of Silos in each home / hut also proves tribal Korku's intelligent planning to safeguard their families from hunger and prevent the wild rodents to feast on their food grains. But obvious, there is no chance of any wastage, whatsoever! Each Silos are built with either cement-mud combination and painted white to keep the food grains cool, with a heavy lid over the top. A small window hole at the bottom is made to take out the required grains as and when required while cooking.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) should learn this simple technique to safeguard nation's food grains and prevent the huge loss year after year. The Korku tribe are very poor and marginal farmers and they still believe in and practice ancient traditional method of farming. That means, the Korku tribe grow pure Organic Food Grains in their fields. This also proves that they are eating much healthy food as compared to urban population. Most of the farmers own their own cattle, few goats, few hens, dogs... which are useful for multi purpose.

I wish to SALUTE the farmers of KORKU tribe of Melghat Region in Maharastra for showing the world how simple it is to use your BRAIN to safeguard the most essential item to live healthy... HATS OFF!!! Do wish the Planning Commission will send their officials to learn from the Korku tribe at the earliest!!!

IF WE WANT, WE CAN... BUT, WE WON’T AS OUR WONT

As our wont, we allowed the British traders with open arms almost more than 265 years ago, little realizing the tiny island nation will make us slaves and rule our nation for 200 years and loot all our nation’s precious wealth... if we want, we can... as freedom fighters showed us how a bunch of dedicated patriot Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Jhansi ki Rani Lakshmibai and many others... shed their blood so that the British were forced to leave our land, where guests are welcomed with open arms considering them as Gods visiting!

History showed us how in 1947 the nation was divided into two while millions innocent were massacred to satisfy the greed for power to rule... everyone kept quiet... the politician lot don’t even care how many innocent will be killed and become homeless... history is full of such examples. So after the nation got its freedom in 1947... we started fighting among ourselves to rule... and when the nation got its first deserving Prime Minister as Shastri, he was knocked off in conspiracy theory in Russia. How I wish we had more Shastri like leaders in the nation, who were selfless to serve for the betterment of the nation unlike all the others who didn’t  and still do not hesitate to kill the innocent in millions... decade after decades!

You all must be wondering as to what is the relationship between these historical facts and the present scenario of the nation and the title of the post, right? It was an Indian who gave the world the ‘zero’ to facilitate counting... it was India who found water on Mars... and yes, it is India under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which has achieved the distinction to create 120 Plus Scams in almost every department of governance worth trillions and trillions of dollars... so you see, if we want, we can... to loot the nation’s wealth to the hilt... but when it comes to serving the nation, as our wont, we won’t!

India as the nation has achieved many great feats, so why has it lacked in Agriculture in the past six and a half decades? 70 % of the population depends on agriculture, so why none of the previous Prime Ministers except Lal Bahadur Shastri, bothered to establish Agriculture as the most advanced industry of our country? Absolutely, there is no answer at all... each one of them were busy looting the nation and allow the MNCs to loot while everything is being snatched away from little and poor farmers of the nation... from Irrigation water to seeds, fertile lands to their savings... the farmers’ community are left in lurch to defend themselves at the mercy of rain God, money lenders, micro-finance institutions, corrupt politicians, traders’ lobby and faulty government policies.

If we want, we can... many individual success stories have been recorded all over the nation... but the government will never replicate those simple success stories on the real grounds because then the poor farmers will better their life style and the rich corporate companies and greedy politicians don’t want this to happen ever... instead, everything is being sold in the rural backdrop by these MNCs to milk every single penny from the poor farmers, who constitute the large chunk of the economy. From Re. 1/- Satchet Shampoo to Sachet eatables to micro-finance to buy dish TV, fridge, motorcycles and not forgetting the costly medical treatments in multi-speciality hospitals and clinics... each device has been master planned to extract little pennies from the poor.

If the nation can achieve to build super-class METRO in Delhi in record time, why it has not been able to construct effective irrigation infrastructure in the nation since the last six and a half decades, even when billions have been gulped by the government officials and the private companies? If the nation can build flyovers and express highways efficiently, then why we as the nation couldn’t build food grains storage godowns in the last 65 years? Why as a nation, we are so callous in our approach to please the global entity while the majority of our poor lot are suffering from hunger and poverty?

I am certainly not against the nation’s economic growth... but is economic growth all about the numbers? Should we close our eyes as blinds to see the ground realities of rural India where millions of villagers have to walk miles and miles in hot sun, heavy rains or severe winter to fetch drinking water for the families? Is economic growth about digging wells with bare hands in rural India? What is the use of UID Card when the villagers are feeding self with Tamarind leaves? While every producer or manufacturer are permitted to decide on the cost of its product, the farmers are controlled by the government by means of MSP (Minimum Support Price), why?

A nation is a dead nation without the farmers’ community and insted of supporting them in the right ways, everyone is out there to exploit and milk them to push the farmers towards the edge... even their deaths are exploited by greedy parties to make money... how inhuman it can be? No one seems to understand the grave danger we as the nation will be facing in coming future... every natural resouces are fast depleting, mountains and plateaus are being razed, forest cover are fast decreasing, water scarcity has become the order of the day, electricity... well, many villages don’t even know what it is even in this 21^st Century... what more can one expect in this beautiful nation??? The babies who are being born today are going to have a dangerous future ahead and we as the nation are to be blamed for making such a strong base of uncertainty...

No one is really bothered about the catastrophe that we are fast approaching... each one of us is busy in our own illusionary world... humans... the more modern we have become the more callous we have become and the more regressive we are in real sense. How I wish I can change all these in the big picture??? I am doing my best and putting in all my efforts in whatever small ways I am able to do as destined...

OCCUPY MONSATO - September 17th , 2012 - SAY NO TO GMOs

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE:

"Occupy Monsanto" is calling for protests on September 17, 2012, at Monsanto facilities across the globe to demand GMO labeling and the elimination of cancer causing toxic chemicals in our food supply.

THE BIG ACHIEVEMENT!

Since 2008, I have been involved with the farmers' community's crisis in the nation... first as a concerned blogger and since March 2010 as an active student to do something good for the farmers' community... as I started the one-man-crusade movement - "support 4 suicide farmers families" on the 12th of March 2010...

I have been listening to the radio, reading newspapers and magazines from my early childhood and when the the television revolution set in... I have been watching it on a regular basis... however, since April 2010, I have quit watching television as my concentration was more to work for the farmers' community in the Vidarbha Region of Maharastra. On the 12th of March this year, the movement will be completing its two years... and for the very first time, I am glad to inform one and all, all across the globe that the movement has achieved one of the first big achievements!

Perhaps for the very first time in the history of agrarian crisis of India, Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, which toured various places in Vidarbha have come to the conclusion (in its reports) that the Prime Minister's Relief Package of Rs. 7,500 Crore (Billion) aimed at mitigating the woes of farmers, has failed miserably in its objective and the agriculture still persists. It is for the very first time that a government committee has stated most of the points mentioned and written in my series - WHAT THE FARMERS NEED! - started on the 5th of February 2011 (Please read the link given below):

The Committee head by Mr. Basudeb Acharia (Chairman of the panel) stated that there is no end to the problems faced by farmers. They have to face odds at all levels, from finding labourers to till the land, getting quality seeds, fertilizers at reasonable prices, irrigation facility to remunerative prices to their produce. The farmers are squeezed at all levels. Wages of farmers have gone up. Despite this, there is shortage of them. It is difficult to get quality seeds in the market. Prices of fertilizers, sprinklers and other farm inputs have gone through the roof. There is no water to irrigate the farm and even now, most of the farmers depend on monsoon rains. The sword of delay in rains, excess or scanty rainfall, always keep hanging over their heads. If the crop is good after facing so many difficulties, there is no guarantee of them getting good price because of manipulation of prices by market today.

Because of all these, small farmers are finding it difficult to make a living. Cosmetic measures like announcing packages (PLEASE NOTE HERE: The 1,088 Crores Crop Damage Aid Announced by CM Prithiviraj Chavan in December 2010 has still not been disbursed to Vidarbha farmers as on date... while he has already made another Aid announcement in December 2011 worth 2,000 crores for Maharastra Farmers to shut down the farmers' protest) and loan waiver will not help. Irrigation facilities should be given a top priority. There is urgent need to address all the problems faced by the farmers one by one. Government machinery will have to be more sympathetic towards farmers.

It was indeed fortunate that when I returned from Punjab on the 4th of March, I bought the newspaper THE HITAVADA at Nagpur Station... and at home when I read the editorial... I really thanked my Sai Baba for making me to buy the newspaper, otherwise I would have missed this piece of information. All these years, no one has really taken into consideration about the farmers' needs and requirements... instead everyone quotes statistics to project the farmers' crisis. I am glad the effort to educate the system has been fruitful in the two years I have been living in Vidarbha. I do hope effective measures are taken by the State and the Central Government to look seriously into farmers' needs and requirement to end their woes at the earliest, so they can serve effectively to feed the nation.

THE SERIES: WHAT THE FARMERS NEED!

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-farmers-need-5th-feb-2011.html - 5th February 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-farmers-need-i-6th-feb2011.html -- 6th February 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-farmers-need-ii-8th-feb-2011-bh.html -- 8^th February 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-farmers-need-iii-12th-feb-2011.html -- 12^th February 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-farmers-need-15th-feb-2011.html

15^th February 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-farmers-need-part-v.html -- 4^th March 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-farmers-need-part-vi.html -- 27th March 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-farmers-need-part-vii.html -- 30th March 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-farmers-need-part-viii-good-msp.html - 24th May 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-farmers-need-part-ix.html -- 29th May 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-farmers-need-part-x-good.html -- 24th July 2011

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-farmers-need.html -- 7th August 2011

WOMEN YOU ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL !

Women You all are Beautiful !

Women You all are the Pillars of Strength !

Women I am Indebted & Grateful to you all Beautiful Souls...

For your kindness in Supporting & Helping the Movement...

All you Beautiful Women are actually the reason for the formation of the Strong Base of

"Support 4 Suicide Farmers Families, Wardha" ---

Loads of Love & Hugs to one & all Beautiful Women !!!

I SALUTE you all from the Bottom of My Heart !!!

SHRINKING AGRICULTURE LAND

As I travelled from the 25th of February to 5th of March 2012 across the states of Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Delhi, Haryana & Punjab... the only thing what I witnessed is that maximum of the AGRICULTURE LAND have turned into Concrete Jungle, thereby reducing drastically the land to grow more food grains for the ever growing population...

And Mindless Leaders are insisting that Farmers should grow more food grains...

Will someone explain as to how it is possible with shrinking Agriculture Land?

Almost in every state, the scenario was alarming to me to see Agriculture Land being turned into Concrete Jungles with Educational Institutions, Factories, Colonies, Shops and Malls... no one is really concerned about the future with the ever growing population! What will the generation of tiny-tots eat in the coming future? How on the earth agriculture land are being turned or converted into non-agriculture land, when there is a law?

 @ Tundla, near Agra in Uttar Pradesh

I know, majority of us will say without a thought (of the future) that it is the sign of nation's economic growth... is it really the economic growth in the real sense or simply unplanned planning of the dangerous future ahead? What will happen when there will be no land to cultivate food grains? What will happen when the farmers' community will get extinct like various animal species have, because farming is becoming hazardous with everything becoming costlier day after day, from labour to seeds to fertilizers to pesticides' prices increasing, while market prices of various crops are fetching low prices... apart from all the faulty policies of the government against the farmers... and to rub salt on the wounds of the devoted poor farmers, even nature plays to push them towards the debt cycle with no escape whatsoever... so how will or should the farmers' community really survive to feed their families, provide education to their children, feed self while feeding the nation???

Mindless leaders and National Planning Officials sitting in their crystal palaces insist farmers should increase the output year after year... HOW? With shrinking fertile lands and everything against them, how should the farmers of the nation achieve the unexpected? This is not a political election, where in, every hook and crook formula works or are implemented to win to come into power. Agriculture is certainly not a power game... it is simple common sense!

In the last two years, I have travelled in various states all across India, namely, Maharastra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Haryana, Punjab... in cities to interior villages... everywhere the scenario is the same... agriculture lands are being grabbed and converted into concrete jungles in millions of hectare / acre by builders, MNCs, Educational Institutions, Government Projects and what not... are we really bothered about the future???

NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

The 'Journey of Destiny' that was bestowed to me on the 12th of March 2010 has been flowing and leading to uncharted territories that I had never seen or experienced before. Life can be so challenging or unpredictable, one can never be so sure of! How these two years have gone by teaching me various lessons of life... I am really perplexed!

Living every single day 24 x 7 thinking and putting all my efforts have led my emotions and thinking changed to such an extent that I really fail to understand my Sai Baba's blessings and intention. As I have been telling since I started that I am just the medium for whatever my Sai is doing is HIS doing. I really have no control whatsoever in this journey. As humans, we often tend to think that it is US, who is doing and achieving things... well, it is all so wrong in thinking... but do we really have control on our thinking? NO!!!

On 25th February 2012, I decided to take a much needed long break to get away from the ground to become stable mentally, as I was suffering from sleepless nights since few weeks... worries that haunt every night to put me into a state of helplessness. I was heading to Punjab to meet my school friend Satpal Singh (who now resides in New York), who I was meeting after decades of separation. I have been waiting the moment with overwhelming anxiety to hug my dear friend... and on 26th evening, we did meet and I am really very-very grateful to Sai Baba for writing this meeting in my destiny! I was so happy because the occasion of his niece's wedding on 28th also coincided for us to meet... It was a joyful occasion at home and I was welcomed with warmth and love by one and all at home... indeed, it was an overwhelming moment.

Life will change so drastically in such a joyful atmosphere within a fraction of second, one will be shocked as I was part of a Punjabi wedding... where in joy, happiness and celebration are one of its kind! No one will become what I became to suffer a major 'Nervous Breakdown' after the day of the marriage... I really cannot describe the situation and the emotional trauma I suffered all of a sudden on 29th afternoon... I was feeling miserable as I couldn't eat anything because of the emotional journey... I wanted to be back in Wardha and be with the villagers... I requested my friend Satpal to please let me return back... he was speechless and wondered what had happened to me... tried his level best to understand and I was crying like a baby and all I was uttering to him was - 'Please let me return tomorrow...' on and on...

He understood the state of my being... and I am grateful he didn't stopped me... he said, 'No problem Johnny, you go and I will not stop... I can understand your state of mind and heart.' I was an emotional wreck and I know the world may think that I am 'mad'... so be it and I really don't care! I should have been ecstatic to meet my friend after so many years! I was ecstatic! But what I saw at the wedding celebration made me so miserable that I suffered the nervous breakdown. I just couldn't relate to all the wastage and how the world was living without any worries about future and hunger around the world of the poor. Please note that I have attended many Punjabi weddings of my friends earlier and I know exactly what all happens... but this time, it all seemed to me so-so disturbing that I am really unable to describe the feelings inside me...

I told everything to Satpal and he could relate to everything that I was telling... indeed it is a blessing to have such a wonderful understanding friend in one's life! With heavy heart and loads of worries in my mind, I bid them goodbye, much to my disliking on the 1st of March 2012... And when the time finally came, Satpal was really very-very kind to give me money for my movement... he said, 'just keep it, your movement needs them.' I don't have words to thank my dear friend who instead of getting upset was all the more concerned about me becoming alright... from Ludhiana to Delhi... the journey by bus was really difficult for me... but Satpal kept calling me every hour to check my condition... even though we were physically getting far from each other... his call made me feel that he was travelling by my side. Such great concern and bonding after decades of meeting... thank you Sai Baba for giving me such a wonderful friend in my life!

Satpal... you are a gem and yes, Parjai ji (Satpal's wife) I am grateful to you and your loving wonderful family for everything!  Sai Baba bless you all forever always!

The 'Journey of Destiny' continues from here to the unknown territory... how long it will take me to get alright... I really have no idea at all!