The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (Agricultural Marketing Division), Government of India, has included a Coimbatore-based farmer as Member of the Committee it has constituted to study the functioning of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Tamil Nadu and to suggest remedial measures.
Ranganathan, the Coimbatore unit treasurer of Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam and Director of the Business Division of Palamalai Farmers’ Producer Company Limited, finds a place in the Committee as one of the two FPO representatives. G.K. Nagaraj, Director, Agri Innovative India Limited, is the other FPO member.
The Joint Secretary – Marketing, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, will serve as the Member Secretary of the Committee that also has membership of senior officials of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC); Director of ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchi, R. Selvarajan; and Chief Executive Officer of VANAM NGO Balasubramanian.
The Committee will study and assess the problems faced by FPOs in Tamil Nadu, with respect to institutional governance and management practices, business operations and sustainability, technical assistance and extension linkages, aggregation, value addition and marketing challenges, and capacity building and hand-holding requirements.
The Committee will specifically focus on cultivation, value-addition and marketing issues relating to banana, turmeric, coconut, tapioca, natural farming systems, and organic farming products.
The Committee is required to submit its first report within two months.
Published – February 03, 2026 10:04 pm IST
