Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop of FPOs Organized at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi

11 March 2026, New Delhi

A Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop on “Methodological Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)” was organized today at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi under NEMA project.

The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. R. N. Padaria, Joint Director (Extension), ICAR-IARI, New Delhi who highlighted the importance of evidence-based assessment for strengthening FPOs and enhancing farmers’ collective enterprises. A detailed discussion on the conceptual framework, evidence-based research, research design, and methodology for FPO evaluation was presented by Dr. Ranjay K. Singh, ADG (Extension), ICAR.

The workshop also featured remarks from Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi who emphasized the critical role of FPOs in improving farmers’ incomes, especially for small and marginal farmers who face several challenges, including marketing constraints. He stressed the need to strengthen market linkages and promote sustainable agricultural development. He also highlighted the importance of building start-ups and strengthening FPOs.

The workshop also featured two sessions. First Session focused on identifying indicators for measuring the performance, effectiveness, and impact of FPOs. Experts from leading institutions, including the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), New Delhi the Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), New Delhi the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi and the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI), New Delhi participated along with CEOs and representatives of various FPOs across the country. Progressive farmers and FPO leaders also shared their experiences and perspectives on practical indicators for evaluating FPO success.

Second Session deliberated on building an evaluation framework, including sampling techniques and qualitative and quantitative measures for assessing FPO outcomes. Experts from research institutes, policy organizations, and statistical units contributed insights to strengthen methodological approaches for large-scale FPO evaluation.

The consultation witnessed active participation from scientists, directors of ICAR-ATARIs, policymakers, FPO representatives, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The discussions are expected to contribute significantly toward developing a comprehensive evaluation framework that can guide future policy decisions and strengthen the FPO ecosystem in India.

The workshop concluded with a collective commitment from stakeholders to collaborate in refining and operationalizing the proposed framework for the systematic evaluation of Farmer Producer Organizations.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi)