New Delhi: In a bid to strengthen Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Tamil Nadu, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has formed a high-level committee to assess and enhance their operations. The move follows the intervention of Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan after his recent visit to Erode, Tamil Nadu, where he engaged with farmers and stakeholders on operational and market challenges faced by FPOs.
The committee is tasked with reviewing institutional governance, business operations, technical support, extension linkages, aggregation and marketing challenges, and advisory support mechanisms. It will also examine models for value addition, improved operational practices, and institutional convergence to strengthen FPO sustainability.
Special emphasis will be given to Tamil Nadu’s key crops and farming systems, including banana, turmeric, coconut, tapioca, and natural and organic farming practices. The committee will conduct field visits and hold consultations with FPOs, member farmers, market channels, processors, and other stakeholders to ensure recommendations are practical and actionable.
Institutional Support and Timeline
The ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchirappalli, along with KVKs through ICAR–ATARI, Hyderabad, will provide institutional and secretarial support for meetings, field visits, and report compilation. The committee has been mandated to submit its final recommendations within two months.
This initiative underscores the government’s farmer-centric approach under the leadership of Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Strengthening FPOs is seen as a key step to enhance farmers’ income, promote value addition, and integrate small-scale farmers into formal market systems.