CBBO PROJECT

Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare -Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India launched Central Sector Scheme (CSS) for the formation & promotion of 10,000 FPOs in the period between 2020-25 to be implemented by various Implementing Agencies (IAs) with the help of Cluster-Based Business Organizations (CBBOs).

Mahashakti Foundation has been appointed as a CBBO by NABARD to mobilize farmers and promote FPOs in 38 Blocks of  5 Districts of Odisha. Under this setup, Mahashakti works with farmers to enhance their existing capacities, impart training programs to let them understand the current best practices to overcome climate change-related stresses, and encourage them to take up business activities that coincide with their strengths areas.

Fragmented small farmer holdings pose major problems for on-farm productivity and farm income improvement. Farmer producers’ organizations have emerged as an effective mechanism to transform such small holding-based farming into a viable agri-business enterprise and to increase the net income of farmers. Through collectivization and aggregation, FPOs acquire better access to credit, inputs, technology, market, post-harvest management, value addition, etc.