Ranchi, Apr 15 (PTI) With glimmering eyes and contagious smiles, Basanti Devi and Sita Devi, middle-aged women farmers from Jharkhand’s Khunti district, narrate how a mobile cooling initiative has changed their lives for the better.

They used to spend their days in acute poverty, engaging in seasonal cultivation of mushrooms, watermelon, cauliflower and cabbage, and were forced to sell their perishable produce at cheaper rates in the absence of any cold storage unit in the area.

However, with the launch of the ‘Samvardhan mobile cool storage unit’, an initiative of Netarhat Old Boys’ Association Global Social Responsibility (NOBA GSR) in partnership with Agri-tech innovator BMH Transmotion, they are now able to store their produce and sell them later when they get good rates.

“Mushrooms are delicate and perish fast. We did not have time on our side,” 42-year-old Sita Devi, who now benefits from the cold storage unit, said.

Thirty-nine-year-old Basanti Devi echoed, “We had to accept whatever rates the ‘mandi’ decided.” Om Prakash Choudhary, board advisor of NOBA GSR, who is also the brainchild behind the project, said that the mobile cold storage initiative is designed specifically for farm-gate realities as it combines mobility with cutting-edge technology to provide farmers with the flexibility and control they never had before.

Speaking to PTI, Choudhary said, “My dream came true when our Samvardhan mobile cool storage was inaugurated. However, my real happiness would be when I see the dreams of women farmers becoming reality in the coming days… when I see them storing their produce without fear, selling on their own terms, and earning what they truly deserve.” The mobile cold storage units have solar panels, a gas absorber, air circulation, and ethylene gas management systems to ensure optimal preservation of farm produce.

Though the initiative has long been in force on an experimental basis, one such mobile cold storage unit was formally launched by state Tribal Welfare Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha in Khunti on Monday.

The success in Khunti will be replicated in other farming areas as well, Choudhary said.

NOBA GSR aims to expand the initiative with corporate social responsibility (CSR) support, partnerships with farmers producers organisations and community ownership to build a sustainable ecosystem for small and marginal farmers.

Fifty-year-old Rekha Devi, another mushroom farmer, said other women cultivators in her village have been selling the produce without getting a good price.

She said that around 2,500 women cultivators from the Torpa region are, however, now aligning with the mobile cooling initiative.

According to experts, such mobile cold storage units help reduce post-harvest losses from 40 per cent to just three per cent, significantly minimising spoilage while extending the shelf life of the produce. This, in turn, increases farmers’ income by up to 25 per cent.

Though agriculture is the leading occupation for people in Jharkhand, there is an acute shortage of cold storage units in the state, with only 60 such establishments in operation, according to the central government data.

Earlier, the NOBA GSR spearheaded ‘Sangini’ initiative that has made remarkable strides in improving menstrual hygiene management across parts of rural India.

Currently active in over 700 schools, it has impacted over two lakh girls and women, reducing absenteeism, minimising dropout rates, and improving health outcomes, Choudhary said.

Through the Sangini initiative, vending machines provide access to affordable and hygienic sanitary pads. The organisation’s ultimate goal is to reach all 4.6 crore vulnerable girls and women across India.

Choudhary, who was also behind the Sangini initiative, narrated his personal journey in shaping these initiatives.

“After opting for early retirement following 35 years of high-intensity professional life, I found myself struggling with a sudden void. That’s when NOBA GSR, a nonprofit organisation run by young professionals from my alma mater Netarhat, entered my life.” “Taking on an advisory role, I found myself supporting passionate individuals in shaping initiatives such as ‘Sangini’, which has impacted over 700 schools in menstrual hygiene, and ‘Samvardhan’, which is focused on sustainable agriculture. What started as a way to fill my personal void became something much bigger — a renewed purpose, a stronger sense of relevance, and a greater sense of fulfilment.” He said his ultimate wish was to create a platform where marginalised communities could voice their needs in three key areas — rural health, sustainable agriculture and education and livelihood entrepreneurship. PTI NAM ACD