Why RUDI

Why our farmers remain hungry ?

India is self-sufficient, but millions go hungry

According to Agricultural Census of India, an estimated 61.5% of the 1300 million Indian population is rural and dependent on agriculture. The number of farming households is 159.6 million. Yet the percentage marginal households with less than 1 ha of farm land has declined drastically due to multiple factors affecting the current agricultural landscape.

Biggest problems faced by farmers in India ?

Lack of certified seeds availability to rural marginal farmers

Lack of mechanization for manures, fertilizers, biocides and irrigation.

Soil erosion

Poor Agricultural Marketing

Scarcity of capital for crop rotation

About RUDI

According to ElaBen Bhatt, founder of SEWA, after political independence, there is a need of economic self-reliance for rural members to really flourish.

Our study of majority of SEWA’s agricultural members and marginal farmers (over 70%) helped us derive the real reason of “why our farmers remain hungry?” They were being cheated for the return they got for their agro produce, the providers of food to nation were starving; in spite of their hard work they were deceived by the intermediaries at the village mandi’s.

Whatever the market decides, that’s the price we Get

Considering that Agricultural Marketing continues to be in bad shape in rural India, the idea of setting up RUDI- a rural distribution network for small and marginal farmers; to provide multiple employment opportunities and build up an integrated food value chain in order to enhance the efficiency of agricultural activities, to reduce the hardships by the producers, processors and to create a robust self-reliant agro producing company to ensure food security to rural members.

RUDI was initiated by the and for the farmer groups and District Associations in the year 2004.