Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 267/20

PRESS NOTE

The Director, Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship & Member Secretary 1917iTEAMS PMU, Government of Meghalaya has informed that 1917iTEAMS came into existence in December, 2017 with the mandate of Connecting Farmers to Markets through affordable logistics solutions, market connect and agro advisories. When lockdown was imposed on the 24th of March 2020, there was a very real apprehension of farmers’ distress due to the closure of markets both within and outside of the state. 1917iTEAMS swung into action on the 27th March 2020 and every day since then the Agri Response Vehicles (ARVs) of 1917iTEAMS have been evacuating farmers' products from all over the state and providing buyers in Shillong, Tura and Jowai, the Dorbar Shnongs and to grocery stores with fresh vegetables. 1917iTEAMS has also tied up and is collaborating with NaRi, the home delivery network of the Shillong Milk Union to reach farmers’ products like vegetables, fruits and essential commodities to consumers through NaRi’s home delivery network. 1917iTEAMS is also providing logistics support to private home delivery entrepreneurs and local buyers who hire the ARVs to lift produce of farmers to sell through their own networks.

Since 27th March 1917iTEAMS has evacuated 75,657 kgs of vegetables in all weight categories right from 100 kgs to 2 tonnes per trip from the districts of East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Garo Hills, West Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and South West Garo Hills and has delivered 25,500 kgs of essential commodities in 5 (five) districts. The ARVs have also executed 586 institutional deliveries till date. In collaboration with 1917iTEAMS, NaRi also commenced home delivery operations in Tura on the 29th March 2020 with a 1000 litre shipment of milk from Shillong to Tura which is now moving every 3 days. On 3rd April 2020 1917iTEAMS expanded its operations to North Garo Hills and is now providing vegetables to that district from Tura and Shillong in view of the closure of the border and ban on vegetables coming from Assam by the Deputy Commissioner.

On the other hand, NaRi has also initiated procurement and home delivery of vegetables and fruits either sourced directly or through the 1917iTEAMS network. Apart from milk, which is their main business, NaRi is also assisting the State Government and the district administration in the supply of essential commodities to grocery deficit areas of Shillong through a mobile kiosk network. This process was initiated on the 29th March 2020 for which two Procurement and Delivery hubs have been created at the Central Dairy Campus, Mawiong for fruits and vegetables for wholesale and a home delivery hub for all essential commodities in Pynthorbah. Till date the mobile kiosks of NaRi have made a total of 965 deliveries while the regular home delivery network has made 14,855 home deliveries. Both organizations are working hand in hand with the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Shillong, to reach out to the people and the farmers of the state and ensure that their basic needs are addressed for which 1917iTEAMS has scaled up its IVR call capacity from 8 to 30 lines manned by 12 additional call and dispatch personnel and also added an additional 43 ARVs to its original fleet of 18 vehicles. NaRi has also scaled up by adding 24 mobile kiosks to its original fleet of 16 vehicles and has onboarded an additional 4 vehicles in the Garo Hills, 10 more home delivery personnel, four more home delivery vehicles and 30 additional unemployed youths for its vegetable procurement and delivery operations. Farmers of the state who have produce ready to be harvested are advised to call on the toll free number of 1917 from any mobile network to access the services of 1917iTEAMS and NaRi.