INTRODUCTION

At Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems (CIKS), we work mainly with the small and marginal farmers’ community, promoting sustainable agriculture and livelihoods. From inception, we have worked with over 110,000 farming families in nine districts of Tamil Nadu. We have supported the formation of over 650 farmers’ institutions involved in sustainable agriculture. These institutions include agri-focused Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), Farmers’ Clubs, Common Livelihood Groups, and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Through these farmers’ institutions, small and medium enterprises have been set up to carry out a variety of activities in sustainable agriculture.

Starting from the year 2013, we have worked on the promotion of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in various parts of Tamil Nadu.

This note provides an overview of various aspects of our work with FPCs.

  1. CIKS as a promoter of FPOs
  2. CIKS as a support agency for other organisations promoting FPOs
  3. A numerical snapshot of the FPOs promoted by CIKS
  4. A map indicating the locations of the FPOs promoted by CIKS
  5. CIKS’ publications on FPOs

PROMOTING FARMER PRODUCER ORGANISATIONS (FPOs)

Beginning in 2012, we have promoted 23 FPOs with a total membership of 32,017 farmers (12,836 women and 19,181 men farmers) across Dindigul, Kanchipuram, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, and Tiruvannamalai districts of Tamilnadu. These producer-owned enterprises operate in contexts of different agro-climatic conditions and are supported by us, which delivers end to end professional services for business growth and compliances.

RI OF SFAC

CIKS is an empaneled Resource Institution (RI) of the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

As an empaneled RI, we have promoted 11 FPOs with support from SFAC.

POPI OF NABARD

CIKS is an empaneled Producer Organisation Promoting Institution (POPI) of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

As an empaneled POPI, we have promoted 10 FPOs with support from NABARD.

SUPPORTING PROMOTING ORGANISATIONS

In recognition of our capabilities and experience in promoting FPOs, different stakeholders have engaged us to provide support services. One such key engagement is our role as a Resource Support Agency (RSA) for NABARD.

RSA OF NABARD

As part of its POPI Scheme, NABARD has appointed Resource Support Agencies (RSAs) in different states. CIKS has been NABARD’s RSA in Tamilnadu for a three-year period.

As an RSA, we were involved in:

  1. Designing and delivering capacity building programs for POPIs selected by NABARD to promote FPOs
  2. Delivering training and handholding support to POPIs to undertake promotion of FPOs
  3. Building capacities of FPO directors, lead farmers, and CEO of FPO as per the requirement

FPOs PROMOTED BY CIKS – A SNAPSHOT

Shareholders, by Range

Two of our promoted FPOs have 1000 shareholders. In the case of the largest FPO, the number of shareholders goes up to 4002.

Shareholders, by Gender

Total Shareholders Women Farmer Shareholders Men Farmer Shareholders
32017 12836

(40%)

 19181
(60%)

Share Capital

Paid-up share capital in the FPOs ranges from â‚č10 lakhs to â‚č39 lakhs. This capital is the farmers’ own capital in the FPOs they have formed.

Commodities

The 22 FPOs deal in a wide range of agri-commodities:

  1. Groundnut
  2. Honey
  3. Jackfruit
  4. Pulses
  5. Milk
  6. Non-Timber Forest Produce
  7. Paddy (including high-yielding varieties and Tamilnadu’s most well-known traditional varieties)
  8. Tamarind

LOCATIONS OF FPOs PROMOTED BY CIKS

The map presented here locates the 22 FPOs that CIKS has promoted.

STATUS OF FARMER PRODUCER COMPANIES – JULY 2020

Latest status of the FPCs: FPC Status Jul 2020

 

PUBLICATIONS ON FPOs (JUNE 2020)

We have published an extensive catalog of books on a range of topics including practices in sustainable agriculture and conservation of agricultural biodiversity. Over the years, we have also brought out a number of booklets on various dimensions of forming and running FPOs. These publications are available from CIKS. Many of them can be downloaded free of cost from the publications section.

# Title Authors Year
1 Banking Operations Based on Internet and Debit and Credit Cards: An Introduction Divya Kasturi Rangan, Archana Prasad and A.V. Balasubramanian, (Editors) Abarna Thooyavathy, K. Vijayalakshmi and A.V. Balasubramanian (Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chennai) February 2019
2 Compliances for Producer Companies K.Sridhar, (Editors) A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi February 2019
3 Contracts: An Introduction for Producer Companies Compiled and Edited by A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi February 2019
4 Duties, Rights and Responsibilities: Manual for Shareholders, Directors & Chief Executive Officers of Producer Companies A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi June 2016
5 Farmer Producer Companies – Empowerment and Livelihoods of farmers – Case studies from Tamil Nadu CIKS Team February 2017
6 Glossary of Technical Terms on Farmer’s Collectives and Related Areas (English-Tamil and Tamil-English) Compiled by Abarna Thooyavathy and K. Vijayalakshmi (Editors), A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi February 2019
7 Good Practices for Producer Companies A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi (Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chennai) June 2016
8 Inaiyathalam, Patru Attaigal mattrum Kadan Attaigalai Adippadaiyaga Konda Vangi Seyalpadugal: Oor Arimugam (Tamil version of the above book) Divya Kasturi Rangan, Archana Prasad and A.V. Balasubramanian, (Editors) Abarna Thooyavathy, K. Vijayalakshmi and A.V. Balasubramanian February 2019
9 Producer Company Act – FAQs

 

 B. Poongkhulai, R. Abarna and K. Vijayalakshmi May 2015
10 Urpathiyalar Companigal Sattam – Sila Kelvigal, Padhilgal (Producer Company Act – FAQs in Tamil) B. Poongkhulai, R. Abarna and K. Vijayalakshmi March 2015
11 Urpathiyalar Companigal Sattam (Producer Company Act – in Tamil) B. Poongkhulali, R. Abarna and K. Vijayalakshmi March 2015
12 Urpathiyalar Companigalin Vettrikkana Thittamidal Mattrum Aalugai Murai (Tamil booklet on – Strategic Planning for Producer Companies) A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi June 2016
13 Urpathiyalar Companigalin Vettrikkana Thittamidal Mattrum Therndha Seyalpadugal (Tamil – Strategic Planning and Good Practices for Producer Companies) A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi, (Editors) A.V. Balasubramanian,
K. Vijayalakshmi and Abarna Thooyavathy		 February 2019
14 Urpathiyalar Companigalukkaana Vaniga Thittam : Oor Arimugam (Tamil – Business Planning for Producer Companies : An Introduction); The book is given along with a CD which contains a sample business plan

 

 K. Subramanian and
K. Vijayalakshmi, (Editors) A.V. Balasubramanian, K. Vijayalakshmi and Abarna Thooyavathy		 February 2019
15 Urpathiyalar Companigalukkana Therndha Seyalmuraigal A.V. Balasubramanian and K. Vijayalakshmi June 201
16 Vivasayigalin Vilaiporutkalai Sandhaipaduthum Vazhimuraigalum Kuraindhapatcha Aadharavu Vilaiyum : Oor Arimugam (Tamil – Marketing of Agricultural Produce by farmers and Minimum Support Price : An Introduction)

 

 R. Manikandan and A.V. Balasubramanian, (Editors) K. Vijayalakshmi and A.V. Balasubramanian February 2019