Promotion of FPOs (10,000 FPO scheme)

Under the Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of 10,000 FPOs, Coodu Trust — empanelled as a Cluster-Based Business Organization by TNSFAC — builds farmer-owned companies across Dindigul and Thiruvarur districts of Tamil Nadu.

Central government scheme
2021–Present
Ongoing

1,103 Farmers enrolled (2023–2024)

4 Farmer Producer Companies registered

257 Women members in 2022–23, 24% of the total

2 Districts — Dindigul & Thiruvarur

The project

Farmer-owned companies for small and marginal farmers

Project mission

Fostering and developing Farmer Producer Organisations under the Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of 10,000 FPOs — empanelled as a Cluster-Based Business Organization (CBBO) by TNSFAC to establish sustainable farmer-owned companies that enhance agricultural productivity, improve market access, and foster economic development among small and marginal farmers.

The Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations is a Government of India initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The Tamil Nadu Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (TNSFAC) empanelled Coodu Trust as a CBBO, an arrangement first recorded in the 2022–23 annual report after FPO promotion began the previous year. 4 Farmer Producer Companies have been registered and are operational — Oddanchatram Agro and Kuriji Malai in Dindigul district, and Delta Vaduvur and Ponni Vanam in Thiruvarur district. Membership grew from 1,082 farmers in 2022–2023, of whom 257 (24%) were women, to 1,103 in 2023–2024 — 311 at Oddanchatram, 110 at Kodaikanal, 365 at Vaduvur and 317 at Kottur. The reports do not give a women’s share for the later figure.

Each company is built around the key agricultural trades of its region — hill garlic, maize, paddy, groundnut, coconut, onion, cotton and green peas — and all four have secured equity grants to commence trading. A separate CSR partnership with Sri Mugund Bakers & Traders Pvt. Ltd. in Kadavur Block, Karur district, extends FPO and dairy-farming training to women farmers, with technical support from the Veterinary Department, Krishi Vigyan Kendra and the Agriculture Department.

FPO formation
Farmer mobilization
Market access
Women's inclusion

What the project delivered

FPO registration & formation Four Farmer Producer Companies registered with formal governance, elected boards and business plans.
Farmer mobilization & enrollment 1,103 farmers enrolled across the four FPOs by 2023–24; the 2022–23 cohort of 1,082 included 257 women (24%).
Equity grants & financial support All four FPOs secured equity grants as seed capital to commence trading activities.
Training & capacity building Agri-export procedures, post-harvest management, food processing, marketing and FPO governance.
Crop-specific business development Each FPO developed around its region's key trades — from hill garlic and green peas to paddy and cotton.
Compliance & reporting Timely progress reports to TNSFAC, transparent finances and regular milestone tracking.

Three men standing behind a large heaped mound of harvested garlic bulbs at a stall, strings of bundled garlic hanging above them and a board naming Kurinji Malai Farmer Producer Company Limited between them — Harvested garlic aggregated for sale by Kurinji Malai Farmer Producer Company — one of the four producer companies registered under this programme.

Why this work matters

The challenge on the ground — and our answer

The challenge

Small farmers negotiating alone

Without a collective enterprise, small and marginal farmers face weak market access and little bargaining power for the crops their regions depend on.

Our response

Four farmer-owned companies registered

1,103 farmers enrolled in 4 Farmer Producer Companies across Dindigul and Thiruvarur — each structured around its region's key trades, from hill garlic and green peas to paddy and cotton.

The challenge

New companies without capital or business skills

A newly registered FPO cannot trade without seed capital — or manage a collective enterprise without training in marketing, processing and governance.

Our response

Equity grants plus hands-on training

All four FPOs secured equity grants to commence trading, backed by training in agri-export procedures, post-harvest management, food processing, agricultural marketing and FPO governance.

At a glance

The essentials

Scheme: 10,000 FPO schemeCentral Sector Scheme for Promotion of 10,000 FPOs — Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Period: 2021–PresentFPO promotion under TNSFAC from 2021–22; CBBO empanelment recorded from 2022–23; still running in 2024–25
Coverage: 2 districtsDindigul (Oddanchatram & Kodaikanal blocks) and Thiruvarur (Needamangalam & Kottur blocks)
Beneficiaries: 1,103 farmersSmall & marginal farmers in 2023–24; the 2022–23 total of 1,082 included 257 women (24%)
Partners: TNSFACCSR training with Sri Mugund Bakers & Traders Pvt. Ltd.; technical support from Veterinary Department, KVK & Agriculture Department
Status: Ongoing4 FPCs operational, all with equity grants secured; progress reports submitted to TNSFAC on time

Outcomes

What the project changed

4 FPCs registered and operational

Four Farmer Producer Companies successfully registered across Dindigul and Thiruvarur districts, all established and operational with formal governance.

1,103 farmers enrolled

Membership grew from 1,082 farmers in 2022–2023 — of whom 257, or 24%, were women — to 1,103 in 2023–2024.

Equity grants secured by all 4 FPOs

All four FPOs secured equity grants, business operations commenced with trading activities, and financial bases strengthened for long-term sustainability.

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Help us build farmer-owned companies that give small and marginal farmers real market power — from enrollment and equity to training and trade across Tamil Nadu.

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