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Two Farmer Produce Organisations (FPOs) from Gujarat, mentored by Reliance Foundation, received accolades at the CII FPO Summit held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
According to a media release, Banas Farmers Producer Company (FPC) and Chorad Farmer Producer Company were honoured with CII FPO Excellence Awards for their outstanding performance. Chorad FPC was recognized for Membership Engagement, while Banas FPC received the award for Market Linkage. Reliance Foundation, under its mentorship program, supports FPOs by enhancing their access to supply chains, markets, technology, credit, finance, and building the capacities of their functionaries to operate and grow as enterprises. The foundation also provides timely advisories on weather, prices, pest and disease control, and inputs. To date, Reliance Foundation has mentored over 100 FPOs, empowering farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The CII FPO Summit, a prestigious national-level event, brings together stakeholders from across India working in the FPO ecosystem. The CII FPO Excellence Awards aim to recognize and encourage FPOs that are making significant contributions to farmers' welfare through self-sustaining business models, enhancing profitability, value addition, and fostering entrepreneurship. Banas and Chorad FPCs were selected for the awards following a rigorous multi-round selection process. Banas FPC, established in 2016 by farmers in Radhanpur of Patan district in Gujarat, has demonstrated remarkable growth. The FPO's revenue surged from Rs. 16 lakhs (2016-17) to a Rs 7.2 crore in 2022-23, marking a 43-fold increase. By focusing on increasing farm productivity, mechanizing farm operations, reducing input costs, and improving income, Banas FPC has significantly enhanced the livelihoods of its member farmers. With a membership base of over 1,600 farmers, Banas FPC stands as a beacon of success in rural empowerment. Promoted by Banas FPC, Chorad FPC serves farmers in 24 villages of Santalpur taluka, a remote and underdeveloped area in Gujarat's Patan district. Through its business interventions and fair practices in agricultural input supply and aggregate marketing, Chorad FPC has enabled its members to achieve better price realization and higher incomes. The FPO actively engages in online trading through National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), an endeavour that was recently recognized by NCDEX, further highlighting its commitment to serving farmers. Chorad FPC's annual turnover witnessed a remarkable 15-fold increase, reaching Rs. 3.46 crore in 2022-23 from Rs. 23 lakhs in 2020-21. (ANI)
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