A theoretical perspective of producer organisations in India

Indian farming faces challenges like small land holdings, fragmented ownership, and perishable produce, diminishing farmers’ bargaining power in selling and purchasing. To bridge this gap, cooperatives and producer organizations have emerged. Producer organizations are legal entities formed by primary producers, including farmers, milk producers, fishermen, weavers, artisans, and craftsmen. This paper explores their characteristics, types with relevance to agriculture such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), Dairy Producer Organizations (DPOs), and Handloom/Weaver Producer Organizations (H/WPOs). Farmer Producer Organisations are farmer-operated entities representing interests and promoting collective decision-making. Fish Farmer Producer Organisations provide comprehensive support to small-scale fishers and fish farmers. DPOs formed on the initiative of group of farmers, which has one or more aims. This includes negotiating contracts for the delivery of raw milk on behalf of its members. Role of extension personnel is provision and enhancement of extension services, locating farming community, awareness creation and community mobilization, organizing community meetings through local leaders, social capital formation and capacity building. Farmers are enterprise owners in agriculture, and it is the responsibility of the agricultural extension system to transform their knowledge, attitude and skills with aim to enhance their productivity, production and profitability.