Background 

Nasik district of Maharashtra is world famous for grapes cultivation and exports of Grapes to various countries. Nearly 65,000-acre agriculture is under grape farming in Nasik district, 2.5 lakh farmers are engaged in grape cultivation. It is highly labor intensive industry. Currently 7 lakh workers are engaged in grape farming with the ration 9:1 skilled and unskilled, tribals 3 lakhs. They are mostly unskilled workers. They have acquired the skills by working in the sector for at least last 2-5 years.  If this workforce is trained, it can maximize their earning from Rs. 250 to Rs. 500 per day or more.
 

Need of Skill Up-gradation of Grape Farm Workers:
 

Nasik makes significant contribution of almost 55% grape export every year compared to national average of India. If the large tribal labour workforce already engaged in grape industry is trained, then it can be very beneficial for grape industry to improve overall quantity and quality of the product. It can provide boost to grape economy, and also improve economic status of tribal workforce engaged into it. Disha’s has generated household level baseline data of migrants in 20 villages of two blocks of Nasik district to identify the key reasons of migration, socio-economic profile of migrants, key challenges at village and destination levels. Household level study has been conducted in 20 Panchayat of Peth and Trymbakeshwar block which are major migration prone villages. 
 

Concluding Remarks on Migration Survey in Nasik Region:


Major migrants are involved in grape farm as semi or unskilled workers. Migration is major livelihood source for study population, and remittance out of migration is utilized for various developments at village level such as agriculture development, education, health and other personal expenses. It is clear that migration is helping the study population to escape from the financial crises. Awareness building about the existing government schemes, and implementation in targeted manner for migrating families would be crucial.  Local level employment generation, and market driven vocational training for youth is also critical.
 

Survey reveals that migrants face multiple problems at destination during migration period, such as shelter, food security, and wages exploitation and regular employment. Migration at destinations seems unattended by local government authorities; there is no social security coverage for migrants at city level.  Overall, migration has become major livelihood support for study population.  Hence migration management and governance is important. Post-lockdown due to Covid19, economic downturn has been massive and the most vulnerable have again been on farm workers in the unorganized sector since they do not have the means to weather the storm caused due to lack of employment, slowing down of businesses and low spending by people.
 
On the job trainings:


Disha proposes to work in the medium and long term to mitigate some of these unique issues faced by migrant workers due to the sudden crisis caused by Covid19 pandemic. Disha will motivate workers for formal training in grape farm management.  On the job Trainings will be conducted to avoid daily wage loss.  Trainings will be conducted in the farms in collaboration with farmers.
 
 

Objectives:  To upgrade and alleviate tribal youth’s skill in grape farm managementTo provide sustainable employment opportunities for tribal youth round the year               

Project period: The Pilot phase is proposed for 6 months
 
 

Geographical coverage: The project proposes to train 1000 tribal youth in grape farm management in Peth and Trymbakeshwar, block of Nasik district. 
 

Target group and eligibility: The proposed project will focus on tribal youth who have 8th pass and/or drop out. Eligibility criterion will be- Person should be tribal youth (men/women), migrating for livelihood in grape farms, with experience of at least 2 years.
 
 
Course Material Development:

Training modules / course material will be prepared with technical support of Agriculture department, Grape Growers Association, Agriculture division of Maharashtra Chambers of Commerce.  Courses will be focused on four aspects of grape farming.

I.  Fertilizer management for grape farming :
II.  Pesticides Management for Grape Farming
III. Seasonal Types of Grape plant cutting and  Management
IV. Grape Harvesting & Packing (domestic and export quality)
               
 
Assessments and certification will be done by Maharashtra Chambers of Commerce, Agriculture division. 
 
 

Job placement and entrepreneurship support: 


Post training support will be provided in three ways-

• Handholding assistance will be provided to trained tribal youth for job placement as well for taking small and big contracts in grape farms. Once tribal youth is skilled in grape cultivation and farming, they can get better wages and sustainable employment opportunities round the year.  
• Disha will also provide post-placement support for the beneficiaries  for job placement in tie up with employer – Nasik grape farmers association.
• Disha will also promote opportunities of grape processing in the form of raisins for skilled grape workers. 

Creating data base and app development:

Disha will compile database of tribal workers and their contractors/group leaders, and also of grape farmers in Nasik district. Disha has already developed mobile app ‘ShramGaurav’ for migrant workers, active skill mapping and job linkages support will be provided through the app.  Disha has requested partial cost of mobile app for grape workers registration and job linkages support.
  

Partnership:
 

Disha has formed linkages with various grape farm owners and export companies for providing On-job Training to tribal youth and employment after training.
 

Proposed outcomes of the training
 

• 1000 candidates trained for better job opportunities
• 1000 candidates benefitted by training and placement.
• Safety kit will be provided to trained workers
• 300 candidates supported for entrepreneurship support in raisin processing
• 500 candidates supported for taking small/big contract in grape farm management
• Data base of skilled workers and grape farmers will be developed, and will be linked with the app to bridge existing gaps in demand and supply among grape workers and grape farmers
• Systematic Grape Labor market information System will be promoted through database and app of grape workers and farmers

1. 1000 candidates will be trained for better job opportunities
2. Safety kit will be provided to trained workers after the training to ensure occupational safety
3. Sustainable employment opportunities for tribal youth round the year

Disha Foundation is working with rural and tribal population since 2002 to ensure Safe Labour Migration. The project is extended in NCR Delhi, and Goa recently. Disha’s has implemented its migration support activities from village, Panchayat, block level at source Districts of migrant workers. Issues that Disha addresses include Identity, Education, Livelihood skill building and job linkages, financial inclusion Improving living conditions and access to public services.

Main Achievements

• Disha Foundation is national advocacy partner of DWSSC since 2019.
• Declared as Centre of Excellence in Migration, Health and Development by Ministry of Tribal Affairs, as a CoE we will be closely working with state and national governments in 27 states to access government social security programs before and during the migration for livelihood.
• Invited as a member by NiTi Aayog in newly established sub-committee for migrant workers for their inclusion in national policies.
• Working as interface agency to substantially improve the TB case notification under Universal Access to Tuberculosis Care with Nagpur Municipal Corporation, under RNTCP.
• Worked with RNTCP to actively detect TB cases in 53 rural tribal & urban districts of Maharashtra
• Working to provide nutrition support to TB patients in Nagpur, Dhule and Amaravati districts of Maharashtra