Agri Min stresses farmer growth at FPO meet

Hyderabad: Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressed the 5th FPO Conclave through a video message, underlining the government’s commitment to empowering farmers and fostering inclusive growth. The event, hosted by Samunnati in collaboration with NABARD, is being held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Telangana.

The conclave, themed “Partnerships for Sustainability towards a Future-Ready FPO Ecosystem”, brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and farmer collectives on a single platform to discuss the future of India’s Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, graced the event as Chief Guest and highlighted the challenges facing the sector, while sharing the government’s vision for Viksit Bharat.

The inaugural session also saw the presence of Anil Kumar SG, Founder and CEO of Samunnati Group; Pravesh Sharma, Chairman, Samunnati Foundation; A.K. Sood, Deputy Managing Director, NABARD; Subroto Geed, President – South Asia, Corteva Agriscience; N. Muthukumar, Group COO, Olam Agri; and Vilas Shinde, Chairman, Sahyadri Farms. FPO representatives and industry stakeholders from across India attended the event.

A key highlight of the conclave was the release of the State of the Sector Report 2025, marking a significant milestone in assessing the progress and challenges of India’s FPO movement.

Anil Kumar SG said, “Our shared purpose is to build resilience in Indian agriculture by making markets truly work for smallholder farmers. Amid global shifts, trade realignments, and climate uncertainties, Indian farmers—through FPOs and MSMEs—are poised to be solution providers to the world. This decade is about making FPOs enterprise-ready, investable, and globally connected, moving from conversations to commitments and from partnerships to impactful projects.”