Promotion of Farmers’ Producer Organisations (FPO)

Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) were formed so as to promote farmers to help form a platform to sell their produce more effectively and to introduce to them a forward and backward marketing linkage and to improve their livelihood. Member mobilization is being carried out every month so as to provide equal opportunity to the farmers to join the FPO.

ECS has promoted 5 FPOS:
• Chenya FPO Agri & Allied Cooperative Society (Sangsangyu block) covering two villages Chendang & Konya
• Sangmai FPO Agri & Allied Cooperative Society (Noksen block) covering five villages Noksen, Litem, Longra, Yangpi, and Sangdak
• Ajei Ai Waathatt FPO (Noklak district) covering Noklak, Kusong, and Nokyan ‘A’ & ‘B’
• Thangjam Edou FPO Agri & Allied Cooperative Society covering six villages Hakchang, Sangsangyu, Maksha, Momching, Sangchen & Saoshou
• Changsang Farmers Agri & Allied Cooperative Society in Tuensang town

Of these, 3 FPOs have been registered under Section 11 (2) of the Nagaland Cooperative Societies Act 2017 in the year 2019.

Since its inception, the farmers have easy access to market their produce every season without much difficulty, the income of the farmers has improved to a great extent. The farmers now have access to bargaining rights as the work of the FPO revolves around collective marketing. The FPOs have marketed more than 100 Metric Tons of ginger this year to Kisan Network, Gurugram, Haryana.

During the Covid-19 lockdown period, people were facing many problems in and around the district and everything became scarce starting from our basic supplies such as rice and vegetables, as movement and entry of vehicles were restricted. With the initiative of the FPOs along with the support of the ECS and the District Administration, the farmers were mobilized to sell their farm produce by procuring it to the town and central marketing sheds and making it available to the general public.

For months the local produce was able to sustain and meet the local demands through the local farm produce rather than depending on imports from other states. The FPOs not only sold the farm produce but also provided charitable services by contributing vegetables to the various quarantine centers during the lockdown.