Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy. About 70% of Indian populations solely depend on the agriculture for their livelihood and it accounts for around 22% to 25% of GDP. Agriculture derives its importance from the fact that it has vital supply and demand links with the manufacturing sector. During the past five years agriculture sector has witnessed spectacular advances in the production and productivity of food grains, oilseeds, commercial crops, fruits, vegetables and dairy. Indian agriculture is faced with a great diversity of needs, opportunities and prospects. Future growth needs to be more rapid, more widely distributed and better targeted. These challenges have profound implications for the way farmers’ problems are conceived, researched and transferred to the farmers. On the one hand farmers are doing such an incredible job of producing, feeding and serving the nation on other side there are more instances farmers killing themselves due to various reasons.
The prompters of Sahkar Agri Producer Co. Ltd and the present directors have been making struggle for the farmer from last 10 years; they were operating very successful and profitable farmers co-operative since 2008 with more than 3000 active member. With the amazing response and support of the farmers they got an idea to make the farmers enterprise and finally on 4th August 2014 Sahkar Agri Producer Co. Ltd. was founded.
To selling and marketing the farm product APMCs (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) was founded. The co-operative society was founded to provide good quality agricultural inputs at a reasonable price to the farmer. But both of above traditional co-operative system have been unsuccessful in linking farmers to the global market due to political interference, corruption, elite capture and similar issues.
Such experience of our cooperative movement led to the amendment of Companies Act 1956 in 1990s. Based on Alagh Committee report producers companies came into existence with the amendment of section 581 of Companies Act 1956 in 2003. The objective of the company can be production, harvesting procurement, grading, pooling, handling, marketing, selling, and export of primary produce of the members or import of goods or services for their benefit. . Now,
“Producers Company is the only way for Producers (farmers) to enter WORLD MARKET in LEVEL PLAYING MANNER”.
Sahkar Agri Producers Company was incorporated on 4th August2014. As on now (in 2015) 1080 plus farmers have become shareholders and subscribed share capital is to the tune of Rs. 1.2 Million. It is perhaps largest producers company in Gujarat. Flow of farmers joining Sahkar has become non-stoppable.
We had the privilege to work with SFAC as FPO for oilseeds and pulses procurement program at minimum support price (PPP-MSP). We had procured 38581.2 quintal groundnut worth Rs. 15.43 Crores from 929 farmer/producer in Dec-13 to Feb-14 through our Keshod Farmer Interest Group (FIG)(Keshod Apna Kisan Mall).
"To keep farmers on the farm we must maintain a strong farm safety net, but we will also have to build a thriving companion economy to compliment production agriculture in rural India."
Agriculture derives its importance from the fact that it has vital supply and demand links with the manufacturing sector.