Impact of farmers producers organizations business ecosystem in improving agricultural marketing efficiency in India: Strategies and challenges

The study analysed economic benefits and constraints faced by farmers’ engaged in supply value chain through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) business ecosystem. They has economy of scale in input procurement and farm produce marketing. They offered services for bulk farm inputs purchase and sells them through retail outlet, which help in reducing per unit of cost of production, timely inputs delivery and profit. The FPOs machine custom hiring service play key role in timely farm operation completion, minimize production cost and maximize profit. They rent out farm machineries and implements to members at affordable cost and mechanization help in timely completion of operation and enhance profitability. The market linkage through aggregation of farm produce and its sale directly to traders to reap better prices. They tied directly with retailers or hyper malls to sale products. The lack of storage, infrastructural facility, Non-availability of ICT professionals, digital illiteracy, poor network connectivity and ineficient professional management approach were major constraint in FPOs functioning. They succeeded in getting remunerative prices for their produce. The study concluded that the FPOs have to establish own retail outlets for marketing of value addition, processed and branded products or register themselves to online platform such as Amazon, Flip kart, Swiggy etc., for product supply at home delivery to urban consumers.