The NABARD–MP FPO Project, implemented by Syngenta Foundation India (SFI), continues to drive institutional growth and market readiness for farmers across Madhya Pradesh. The initiative aims to establish sustainable Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) leveraging the Agri-Entrepreneur (AE) network to ensure efficient last-mile service delivery, governance, and value-chain integration.
In March 2024, NABARD Madhya Pradesh sanctioned grant support to SFI to form four Farmer Producer Organizations across Sagar, Vidisha, Dindori, and Dhar districts. These FPOs were organically developed through the existing AE network, ensuring strong community ownership and grassroots leadership.
Each FPO comprises 400–500 farmer shareholders and is led by Agri-Entrepreneurs serving as Board of Directors (BODs)—a model that promotes trust, accountability, and entrepreneurial governance at the village level. Within just two months of project initiation, all FPOs were registered, licensed, and operational. They have since completed their first financial audits and initiated business transactions, positioning themselves for equity grant support under NABARD guidelines.
In parallel, SFI has also established an additional Captive FPO in Madhya Pradesh under its own initiative, both of which are now actively engaged in business transactions through the AE network. All FPOs are registered with NCDEX and possess input/output marketing licenses, enabling direct market participation.
Key Highlights
- 4 NABARD-supported FPOs registered across Sagar, Vidisha, Dindori, and Dhar within two months.
- Each FPO has a shareholder base of 400–500 farmers, ensuring broad community participation.
- AEs serve as Board Directors, fostering transparent governance and local leadership.
- All FPOs have completed audits and initiated business transactions within a year.
- Registered under NCDEX with required input and output licenses for agri-trade.
- Eligible for equity grants, reflecting financial discipline and operational maturity.
Collaborative Strengthening through NABARD
To reinforce institutional capacity and compliance, SFI, in collaboration with NABARD, organized 6th PMIC meetings across the four project districts—Sagar, Vidisha, Dhar, and Dindori. The meetings were attended by NABARD District Development Managers (DDMs), Lead District Managers (SBI), and officials from Agriculture, Horticulture, ATMA, and KVK departments, along with all FPO Board Members.
Discussions focused on expanding shareholder membership, ensuring timely audit report submissions, facilitating machinery support (grading, sorting units) and strengthening operational efficiency and business outreach. These sessions reaffirmed the progress made by each FPO and reinforced NABARD’s and SFI’s shared commitment to fostering self-sustaining, community-led farmer institutions.
The NABARD–MP FPO Project is a testament to the power of collaboration between financial institutions and grassroots entrepreneurship. By blending SFI’s AE model with NABARD’s institutional development framework, the project is nurturing financially strong, professionally managed, and market-oriented farmer collectives — creating a scalable blueprint for farmer empowerment across India.
