Gujarat FPO, Guided by Reliance Foundation, Wins CII Excellence Award for Impact

BILKULONLINE

Ahmedabad, Dec 11: Coming into its own as a strong entity, Gujarat-based farmer producer organisation (FPO) Sami Vistar Farmers Producer Company won an award at the prestigious CII FPO Excellence Award 2024.

Sami Vistar FPO from Patan Gujarat was awarded in the ‘Market Linkages’ category. Another FPO mentored by Reliance Foundation – Amrutalayam Farmers Producer Company from Nanded in Maharashtra was recognized in the ‘Value Addition and Branding’ category. Across India, there were 140 applicants for various award categories and 12 FPOs were winners.

Taking continued efforts to make farmers and farming communities, especially smallholders more resilient, Reliance Foundation has been mentoring Farmer Producer Organisations.

Sami Vistar FPC: Advancing Sustainable Agriculture in Gujarat

Sami Vistar Farmers Producer Company, promoted by Banas Farmers Producer Company Limited under NABARD’s PODF scheme, has become a dynamic force for agricultural development in Patan, Gujarat. Since its inception, the FPO has played a key role in strengthening market access and improving farmer incomes. Reliance Foundation played a key role in strengthening the operational capacity of the FPC by facilitating access to financial resources, building market linkages, and providing access to timely advisories on weather, prices, and crop health.

The FPO’s strategy focuses on procurement and aggregation for fair payments, quality control to ensure premium produce, and value addition through processing and packaging of crops like Bengal gram, castor, and cumin. It strengthens market linkages with buyers and exporters while promoting capacity building to equip farmers with modern techniques and market insights. Reliance Foundation’s training in building the technical and managerial capacity of key functionaries has enabled the FPC to operate independently and scale its impact significantly improving farmers’ incomes, and empowering smallholder farmers with better market opportunities along with practices for soil health and environmental sustainability.

By driving value addition and market access, Sami Vistar FPC is a role model for FPOs in Gujarat, showcasing the role of collective farming in increased profitability for community-led development.

The CII FPO Excellence Award celebrates outstanding contributions of FPOs in empowering farmers and promoting rural development for demonstrating how strong farmer-led collectives can build self-reliance for sustainable agricultural growth.

These award-winning FPOs are inspirations for how collective action with appropriate guidance can uplift farming communities, for an inclusive rural economy. Across India, Reliance Foundation enables scores of such FPOs to build self-reliance of smallholder farmers.

Amrutalayam FPC: A Model for Farmer Empowerment

Founded in 2021 by Madhav Tarkante, a former IT professional who returned to his village during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amrutalayam Farmers Producer Company has become a catalyst for change in Nanded, Maharashtra. With facilitation from Reliance Foundation, the FPO has grown from a small cooperative into a vital support system for over 5,000 farmers across six villages.

Starting with an initial share capital of ₹45 lakh and 450 shareholders, Amrutalayam established input shops to provide farmers with seeds, fertilizers, and essential inputs. Overcoming early challenges, such as a failed seed production initiative, the FPO rebounded with technical guidance from Reliance Foundation, KVK Sagroli, and Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal.

By 2022, the FPO expanded its reach and re-introduced climate resilient practices like Broad Bed Furrow. It also implemented a systematic seed production programme, using curated varieties from leading universities in India, to help its members address market shortage of good quality soyabean and pulses seeds. Further enhancing operations with modern farming equipment, including a drone unit through an IFFCO subsidy and a Custom Hiring Centre supported by the Manav Vikas Department, farmers could rent advanced farming machinery at affordable rates.

Market linkages and infrastructure were strengthened with a 250-MT warehouse from HRD Nanded, helping farmers store produce securely and the FPC was featured in the media for its efforts.

Looking ahead, Amrutalayam aims to expand operations across Biloli block, ensure fair prices for farmers, and promote women’s participation. By nurturing Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and enabling women to establish small businesses, the FPO aims to foster inclusive, community-driven growth.