 "women farmer (photo: Shutterstock)")
Farmer producer organisations (FPOs) formed in Rajasthan by bringing together many women self-help groups (SHGs) are proving to be highly successful.
Looking at the success of these FPOs, the central government has set a target to form 30 additional women’s FPOs in the state.
Many women’s SHGs were formed in the state through Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (Rajeevika) to empower rural women.
These additional women FPOs will be constituted soon.
Rural development department secretary and mission director Manju Rajpal said that all the 35 FPOs had been constituted as allotted by the Government of India in 2022-23.
These FPOs, which are entering into many new sectors, have proved to be successful.
Apart from the share capital of the members in FPO and the equity grant received from the government, an amount of Rs 6 lakh has been fixed for the management of an FPO.
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Hundreds of members of various SHGs can join an FPO.
She said that FPOs formed by Rajeevika are doing the work by adding value to agricultural products such as apple custard pulp, nutritious soybean ladoos, cattle feed, honey and mustard oil.
An example of a successful FPO is the Jhalawari Mahila Kisan Producer Company in Jhalawar, women’s FPO, which is producing and marketing honey. The number of women members is around 700.
This FPO was started with a share capital of around Rs 19 lakh of the members and the government provided an equity grant of Rs 10 lakh, whereas Rs 6 lakh per annum has been kept for the management of the FPO.
The honey produced by this FPO is marketed in the name of ‘Madhusakhi Jhalawari Honey’.
Similarly, Badi Sadri Mahila Kisan Producer Company — Badi Sadri in Chittorgarh district — is a company that has 666 women members and the main work is to produce and market kachchi ghani mustard oil.
