For centuries, farmers from Gumla District of Jharkhand used to work isolated in their own small farm in a disorganised manner. In the absence of effective organisational structure, the farmers were on the verge of becoming incompetent in the market or in a captivating position under local buyers or village level brokers.

“When we are not organised,” says Budheswar Tana Bharat, a farmer from Tapkara village, “we have less decision-making power in terms of production and marketing.” Budheswar and many other faced such problems. “By coming together, our challenges minimized, and capacities multiplied collectively.

The need of the hour is cultivating hope and building resilience among the farmers by introducing and identifying suitable and sustainable technologies/practices for each of the contexts. Climatic change adaptation and mitigation for production increase and marketing are the core.

Agrarian Prosperity Program (APP) in Gumla District is one of the programme initiated by Caritas India with the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) to ensure increase food security and income for almost 3459 small and marginal tribal farm families. Total 42 farmers clubs & 1 farmers forum were promoted at block level under this programme.

The programme has enabled smallholder farmers to take informed decision on issues related to the farm production and marketing of their produces. It has collectivised farmers institutions at the higher level to form farmers producer organisations (FPO). These FPOs will provide a space for smallholder farmers to aggregate and collectively market with proper value addition (cleaning, grading, packaging and branding) of their produces. The system is envisioned in its broadest sense, from the individual farm to the local ecosystem and to communities affected by the farming system which focus more who are under-privileged, small and marginal farmers to be united to part of community institutions and made realise their presence contributing at decision making level with ownership of their local resources.

With the support of NABARD Jharkhand, the APP programme has worked to promote five Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO). The objective of the initiative was to have registration of all the five FPOs under Government of India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and further guide them to develop customise business plan with necessary hand holding support from Caritas India and NABARD. As of today, DharitriUtpadak Farmers Producer Company Limited – Kurum, Jeewandhara Farmers Producer Company Limited – Rokedega, Jaldega Farmers Producer Company Limited – Jaldega, Shristi Farmers Producer Company Limited – Orbenga and Dahupani Farmers Producer Company Limited – Tetartoli FPOs are successfully registered with the ministry norm, Government of India.

Around 752 smallholder farmers are directly linked to these five FPOs whereas almost 1200 additional smallholders will be indirectly linked from nearby non-target areas. These FPOs would be further groomed for business development plan in the fourth coming period.