Green Caravan fulfilling meat cravings during lockdown

Meat being packaged for delivery by Green Caravan in Kohima.

Morung Express News
Kohima | March 31

With meat, especially pork, at the heart of Naga food, there are many people who had to change their diets since the nationwide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic began. Few customers in Kohima, who had ventured out early in the morning to buy fresh meat were disappointed to find none as many of the meat shops are also closed.

However, Green Caravan, one of the home delivery services permitted by Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) to deliver essential goods to households in the city has relieved many customers of their cravings for meat through its fresh pork delivery service. In a telephonic conversation, Richard Belho, founder of Zynorique Initiatives under which Green Caravan also falls, said the demand for pork from customers came in earlier than vegetables and other products.

This delivery service, he said, was born out of necessity as well as serves as an opportunity now as they are roping in young people to be part of the delivery team.  Green Caravan, which was launched in 2015 is otherwise involved with creating market linkages for farmers and vegetable growers, apart from managing their partner farms in Mezoma.

“With the lockdown, people from the western Angami region wrote to us saying their livelihood is dependent on Kohima, where their products are mostly sold”, Richard Belho enlightened. With the permission given by KMC, Green Caravan has been sourcing vegetables from villages like Khonoma and Mezoma, which may soon extend to Jalukie and other areas.
He especially noted that there were a lot of people requesting for pork, which is how the Fresh Pork Home Delivery within Kohima started. Observing that there is a lot of rush, which he described as ‘panic buying’, he said, people are really buying. ‘Right now, we have about 400 subscribers’, he added.

For pork, which is priced at Rs. 250 per kilo, each customer is limited to buying 2 kgs, which is pre-booked and delivered within 8 hours. The processing time, he said takes longer for meat products due to hygiene and sanitizing issues wherein an app - https://www.instamojo.com/greencaravan/ is being used for payment.

Richard Belho further said that soon they may have local pork from Mezoma while expressing that their focus has been to do only local items. Stating concern about the safety of both customers and delivery guys, he said, “we are taking measures and strictly following KMC guidelines.”

One of the main concerns during a time like this, he pointed out, is that rich people would have stocked up their rations, but people who live from hand to mouth do not have that privilege. Since some people don’t have access to the internet, he said that once genuine beneficiaries are identified, they will make ration packs and send them. In this regard, the delivery guys have also agreed to deliver for free while delivery charges for senior citizens (60+) will also be waived.  
For orders or any queries, one may call 7005127505 or mail to The Green Caravan at zynorique@gmail.com.