Securing harvests with Bhaglu
We had the pleasure of spending time with Bhaglu out on his small plot in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India
Bhaglu Pandit is a smallholder farmer in Bihar, India, with less than 1 hectare of land. He used to face significant challenges storing his harvest at home.
“There were problems, we used to store the harvest here in our homes. Pests attacked the harvest and the bad weather came - it used to be ruined,” he explains.
Traders would buy the harvest, but payments were inconsistent, and delays were common. “Traders bought the harvest, we call them “Vyapari”, they never paid us properly," says Bhaglu. "Sometimes 2000 rupees, sometimes 1000. Payments were delayed”
Since storing his grain in an Ergos micro-warehouse just 2 kilometers from his farm, Bhaglu no longer worries about pests or weather damage. “When we kept the harvest in our homes, it was often ruined. Earning is ruined, and money spent on farming is wasted. Good harvest is wasted. The harvest kept at the warehouse is safe and that’s great,” he says.
Using the Ergos app, he checks daily market rates and sells when prices are favorable, increasing his earnings by 30%. Bhalglu is a widower, and previously used to live in a small makeshift kucha house. With his increased earnings, he has built a 2 story house for him, his daughter and son-in-law and his 3 grand-daughters.
