With corporate push, more farmers get active on futures platform

At least 30,000 growers are hedging for their produce through farmer producer organisations: NCDEX

An increasing number of farmers in the country are using the commodity futures market, with help from both non-government bodies and some major corporate groups.

According to the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), at least 30,000 growers are actively hedging for their produce through farmer producer organisations (FPOs).

Reliance Foundation, philanthropy arm of Reliance Industries, has formed 16 FPOs in 13 states. One of these, with 2,200 farmers, has been active on NCDEX over the past year. The foundation has also educated some of its FPOs on value addition in pulses.

"We started it as part of a rural transformation programme, planned