Source: BL
Why in News?
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) has constituted a High-Level Committee to review and strengthen the functioning of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Tamil Nadu, with a focus on governance, sustainability, and market integration.
About the High-Level Committee
Composition
The Committee includes representatives from:
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
- National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)
- Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) – Tamil Nadu
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR–NRCB)
- Representatives from:
- FPOs
- Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
- Officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DoA&FW)
About Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
- A collective of farmers registered as a legal entity to:
- Aggregate produce
- Improve bargaining power
- Access inputs, technology, credit, and markets
- Increase farm incomes
Legal Framework
FPOs can be registered under:
- Companies Act, 2013, or
- Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 (State-specific)
- Government of India achieved its target of 10,000 FPOs under the Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs Scheme.
- 10,000th FPO inaugurated: Khagaria, Bihar – 24 February 2025
