High-Level Committee Formed to Strengthen Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Tamil Nadu

Key facts

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) has constituted a high-level committee to review Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and recommend strategies for enhancing their scale and reach in Tamil Nadu.
• The panel is mandated to submit its comprehensive report within two months.
• The committee includes representatives from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium-Tamil Nadu (SFAC-Tamil Nadu).
• Other members of the panel include officials from the ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), FPOs, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• The committee will investigate institutional governance, management practices, business operations, sustainability, technical support, and value addition.
• Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan initiated the formation of the panel following a visit to Erode.
• Target beneficiaries: Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Tamil Nadu.