Collective strength
Organized 1,103 farmers into four producer companies and 500 women into a fifth, enabling better negotiation power and access to resources through group action.
Farmer collectivization & agribusiness
Organizing farmers into self-help groups and cooperatives for enhanced income and sustainability.
5
Producer companies promoted
1,103
Farmers enrolled, 2023–24
100
Joint Liability Groups formed
500
Women in the Tharagampatti dairy FPC
Understanding
What farmer collectivization means
What is farmer collectivization?
Farmer collectivization refers to organizing individual farmers into formal groups, cooperatives, or producer organizations to collectively undertake agricultural activities and achieve economies of scale.
Our approach focuses on establishing Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), Joint Liability Groups and agricultural cooperatives that empower farmers through collective bargaining, shared resources and integrated value chain development. Coodu Trust is empanelled as a Cluster-Based Business Organization (CBBO) by the Tamil Nadu Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (TNSFAC), and has promoted five producer companies — four in Dindigul and Thiruvarur districts with 1,103 farmers enrolled, plus the women-led Tharagampatti Dairy Farmers Producer Company in Karur.
We emphasize building sustainable business models that connect farmers directly to markets while providing access to credit, technology and quality inputs at competitive prices for enhanced income and sustainability.
- FPO development
- Collective bargaining
- Value chain development
- Market linkages
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Alone at the farm gate
An individual farmer has little negotiation power and depends on intermediaries who take a cut of every sale.
Our response
Bargain as a collective
Enrolling 1,103 farmers into four producer companies, and 500 women dairy farmers into a fifth, gives them negotiation power, collective marketing and better price realization with less dependence on intermediaries.
The challenge
Costly inputs, bought one farmer at a time
Buying seed, feed and equipment individually leaves smallholders paying more for lower-quality inputs.
Our response
Buy in bulk together
Group purchasing and negotiation with suppliers give members access to quality inputs at competitive prices — plus shared machinery through collective ownership models.
The challenge
Locked out of formal credit
On their own, small farmers struggle to access formal credit systems and financial services.
Our response
Group lending opens the bank door
Collective guarantee and group lending models improve access to formal credit and financial services for every member.
The challenge
Raw produce, minimal returns
Selling unprocessed produce means the value addition — and the profit — happens somewhere else.
Our response
Farmer-owned processing
Farmer-owned processing units and integrated value chains keep value addition, product development and market positioning in farmers' hands.
At a glance
The essentials
- Experience
- Since 2015FPO awareness work began in Dindigul district in 2015–16
- Farmers enrolled
- 1,103Across the four FPOs in Dindigul and Thiruvarur, 2023–24 and 2024–25; 1,082 with 257 women members (24%) in 2022–23
- Empanelment
- CBBO for TNSFACCluster-Based Business Organization under the Government of India’s 10,000 FPO scheme
- CSR partner
- Karur Vysya BankDairy Development Programme in Tharagampatti, Karur district, 2021–2025
- Most recent delivery
- Promotion of FPOs as a CBBOStill running in the 2024–25 annual report
- Delivery model
- FPCs, SHGs & cooperativesCollective bargaining, shared resources, value chains
Track record
Project portfolio, 2015–2025
| Programme | Period | Type | Highlights | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion of FPOs (10,000 FPO scheme) | 2021–2025 | National scheme | Four FPOs promoted as a CBBO empanelled by TNSFAC; 1,103 farmers enrolled | Ongoing |
| Dairy Development Programme (CSR — Karur Vysya Bank) | 2021–2025 | CSR partnership | Tharagampatti Dairy FPC — 500 women members, 10 collection centres | Ongoing |
| Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) promotion | 2015–2016 | Key activity | Awareness in 10 villages of 3 blocks, Dindigul; about 600 farmers benefited | Completed |
Impact
What farmer collectivization changes
Business development
Promoted five farmer producer companies, all of which have secured equity grants and begun trading in garlic, maize, paddy, groundnut, copra, onion, cotton and milk.
Value chain integration
Developed integrated value chains combining livestock development with farmer producer company models for comprehensive growth.
Market access
Created direct market linkages and improved price realization through collective marketing and reduced intermediary dependency.
Get involved
Support farmer empowerment
Join us in building strong farmer collectives and sustainable agribusiness enterprises that empower rural communities and create lasting economic opportunities. Your support helps farmers organize, access markets, and build prosperous agricultural businesses.