Farmers’ group reaping a bounty by going organic in Andhra Pradesh

‘Amaravati Organics’ produce have many takers across State now  
With increase in demand for the organic vegetables and other farm produce, the 12 retail shops of the FPO are doing a brisk business.
With increase in demand for the organic vegetables and other farm produce, the 12 retail shops of the FPO are doing a brisk business.

VIJAYAWADA: Three years ago, a group of organic vegetable farmers in and around Vijayawada came together to form a farmer producer organisation (FPO) called ‘Go Adharita Prakruthi Vyavasaya Paraspara Sahakara Sangham’ and started selling vegetables and other agriculture produce under the brand name ‘Amaravati Organics’.

The FPO, which was started with 10 members and a single shop having a turnover of Rs 5,000 per day, has 625 farmers as shareholders, 12 retail outlets and a daily turnover not less than Rs 1 lakh at present. “Though we started with farmers from Vijayawada and surroundings, in the due course, farmers across the State have joined hands with the FPO and our brand, Amaravati Organics, is now steadily getting popular across the State,” said J Kumaraswamy, who was instrumental in the formation of the FPO. 

Speaking to TNIE, he said the FPO’s only condition for its members is that they should cultivate crops without using chemical fertilisers and pesticides. “They are free to adopt natural farming promoted by Subhash Parlekar or any other form of organic farming,” he explained.  Out of the 625 farmers, around 500 supply vegetables and other agriculture produce to the FPO on a daily basis, which are centrally segregated at the organisation’s warehouse at  Patamata in Vijayawada by 48 staff and transported to 12 retail outlets located in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kandukur in Prakasam district and Srikalahasti in Chittoor.

The FPO was started with an investment of Rs 5 lakh with its members contributing, and today, the annual turnover is approximately Rs 5 crore. “Apart from our members, we also procure organic produce from other States such as Karnataka, Maharashtra. Only check mechanism we have is periodical physical verification at the field level,” he said. 

Advantage of the FPO over others is that it provides a platform for the organic farmers to sell their produce, and the strong networking keeps the flow of the produce constant. With increase in demand for the organic vegetables and other farm produce, the 12 retail shops of the FPO are doing a brisk business. Payments are made to the farmers once in two weeks and in certain exceptional cases, the payments are made in a couple of days. 

“What we are doing is providing organic vegetables to the people, who are health conscious, and at the same time protecting the interests of the farmers, by ensuring that they get the maximum price for their organic produce,” Kumara Swamy said, while thanking the horticulture department for its help in forming and stabilising the FPO. 

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