Producer Collectives - Success Stories
Achieving Economies of Scale with Multiple Commodities
Name of the Beneficiary: Thiruvarur Farmer Producer Company Ltd
Panchayat: Ashesham
Block: Mannargudi
District: Tiruvarur
We were 1290 women members from about 8 blocks belonging to Mannargudi, Needamangalam, Valangaiman and Muthupettai, Thiruvarur,Nanilam, Koradasery, Kudavasal and Thiruthuraipoondi Blocks, and we formed a Producer Collective (PC). Our Collective supplies agricultural inputs like crop seeds, cultivated traditional paddy as well as make and sell value-added food and agro-products such as groundnut, coconut, sesame and black gram etc.
VKP played an instrumental role in bringing the smaller PGs under the larger organisation, Thiruvarur Farmer Producer Company Limited, to exploit the economies of scale. Our Producer Collective is registered under Companies Act, 2014, with a share capital of Rs. 12,90,000. During 2020, Rs. 10 lakhs as Covid Assistance Package Fund was given to the PC and for 6 PC-affiliated PGs each one having Rs. 1.5 lakhs as CAP support start-up fund. From this fund, we purchased a combine paddy harvester for farming activity.
Our Collective is headed by a 10-member Board of Directors trained by VKP in administration and management, and we are making an annual turnover of nearly Rs. 1 crore.
Adding Flavours and Spice to Life
Name: Kodai Hill Crops Producer Company Ltd
Panchayat:
Block: Kodaikanal
District: Dindigul
“Earlier, we were making Rs. 1-2 profit by selling one kilogram of raw whole pepper, but with the VKP support we made value addition and could make profit of Rs. 50/kg. So, it boosted our profit and given us confidence to move further up.”
Our Producer Company was set up in 2016 and has 811 shareholders, of which 550 are women. The company has 6 Board of Directors,out of which 4 are women. The FPO covers 73 villages in 3 blocks of Athur, Kodaikanal and Batlagundu. The Company is into processing and value addition to coffee, pepper and coconut. We are also selling cardamom, butter fruit, millets, pulses etc. under the brand name ‘Kodai fresh’ and supply it to super markets, women entrepreneurs, FPOs and retail stores in all major cities across Tamil Nadu. In our PC, 30 women shareholders are in primary processing and value addition and we all belong to destitute, single headed parent / widowed families, and other vulnerable sections. During the COVID period, our farmers were unable to sell their farm produces. The Rs.10 lakh CAP fund provided by VKP allowed us to purchase farm produces from our farmers, and prevented the spoilage of farm produces to a large extent; we set up a coffee and seed processing units and a seed godown with this fund. We also received Rs.2.5 lakhs as Green Award, and utilized it to expand business. Earlier, we were making Rs.1-2 profit for one kilogram of raw whole pepper, but after value addition we could make profit of Rs.50 per kilogram. So, it boosted our confidence to value-add other agriculture products. We strongly believe that the pepper powder and copra production will propel us to the next best level. With Project support, we achieved an annual turnover of Rs.1.17 crores.
production enhancement, soil and water interventions, mechanisation and skill building
Panchayat: Kilavaneri
Block: Mandapam
District: Ramanathapuram
Mugavai Traditional Crop Producer Company (MTCPCL) was formed in Mandapam Block in 2016. Our Group includes 1038 farmers comprising of 917 female and 121 male farmers and we have organised ourselves into 70 Kalasam Primary Producer Groups. Our members include small and marginal farmers cultivating traditional paddy and millet crops from 10 panchayats.
Our PC helps with building capacity of farmers in production enhancement, soil and water interventions, mechanisation and skill building of youth and women farmers. Our Collective has a processing facility for milling paddy and minor millets worth Rs. 32.00 lakhs. The Collective also established an Oil Extraction Unit worth of Rs. 12 lakhs with the support from the Mission on Sustainable Dry Land Agriculture project (MSDA) of Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department. The processing unit has now processed more than 35 tons of paddy and greater than 22 tons of Minor Millet each. All interventions are done in partnership with the Departments of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Marketing.
Our PC was selected as a recipient of the Green Award for practicing sustainable agricultural practices. The PC has given us organic certificates for farming and we are involved in green practices like using bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and/or organic manure and micro-irrigation techniques.