Millet-based Enterprises and Sustainability: Evidences from Farmer Producers Company in Kalahandi District, Odisha

• Published in: The Indian journal of agricultural economics Vol. 78; no. Number 3; pp. 462 - 472
• Main Authors: Saswat Kumar Pani, Damodar Jena, Nibal Dibiat, Abha Mishra, Parul Jain, Pradeep Kumar Sahoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.09.2023
• Edition: 902
• Subjects: Crop Production/Industries; Farmer Producers Company; Millet based enterprise; Production Economics; Sustainability
• ISSN: 0019-5014
• DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.345280

The importance of millet in the present ecosystem as a mitigating tool towards planet, people and business is realised across all stakeholders in the agriculture and agribusiness system. Farmer Producers Companies are the new economic enterprises evolved to strengthen the collective efforts of marginal and small farmers. Sustainability is an important pillar in the integration and transformation of millet based enterprises to a sustainable business unit among the farmers group in the farmer producers company. Considering the emerging importance of millets to the present climate stress situation and evolution of Farmer Producers Company, the present study was conducted in the western undulating zone of Odisha state, i.e., Kalahandi. The study is based on survey data brought out of a structured interview schedule. A total of 312 sample households were interviewed among four FPCs in different blocks of the district. Following two important research questions were raised to qualify the subject of the study: What are the factors responsible to undertake millet based enterprises among the farmers within the context of the study? What are the important sustainability factors that determine an impact on farmer income? The study found that value addition and innovations are the important sustainability factors that create an impact on farmer income. Collaboration was also found significant but not to the extent. Further age, marital status, family support, financial stability, scale of operations were the internal factors and policy governance and public relations as external factors that drives farmers’ decision to undertake millet based enterprises among the FPCs. The Odisha Millet Mission initiative has set to be a driving force across the production and post-production activities to strengthen and enhance the eco-environmental sustainability.