Khunti Mahila Vikas Farmers Producer Company Limited has been honoured for their exceptional contribution to value-added agricultural products at the Jharkhand Food Festival 2023. This recognition was a part of the festivities commemorating World Food Day on October 16th in Jharkhand. The local food festival, a collaborative effort orchestrated by several esteemed organizations, including 4S INDIA, PHIA FOUNDATION, PRADAN, RRA NETWORK, SWITCH ON FOUNDATION, TRANSFORM TRADE, GERMAN COOPERATION, and WHH, provided the perfect platform for showcasing their outstanding products. Their display was truly impressive, featuring a wide array of value-added items, such as processed finger millets, finger millet flour (ragi aata), finger millet sweets (ragi ladoo), ragi cookies, ragi Neemki (a savory snack), traditional sweet snacks like ragi Thekua, brown rice, and ragi Balu sahi. Among this group of organizations, Khunti Mahila Vikas Farmers Producer Company Limited shone brightly due to their exceptional showcase of value-added agricultural products.
The Khunti Mahila Vikas Farmers Producer Company Limited is a key participant in our WEE SMILE project, generously supported by HDFC Life CSR. This initiative, which was launched in August 2021, has been actively engaged in 100 villages spanning nine blocks across six districts in Bihar and one district in Jharkhand. The primary objective of this project is to promote agribusiness, empower women farmers to actively participate in agriculture-related businesses by fostering value chains, and facilitate the integration of small and marginal women farmers into commercial markets through these value chains.As part of this initiative, 70 women Producer Groups and 7 women Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPCs) were established, successfully mobilizing 4,500 women farmers into FPCs and collecting over Rs 40 lakh in share contributions. This project also led to the establishment of an FPO business hub within all 7 FPCs, with Khunti Mahila Vikas Farmers Producer Company Limited being one of the seven FPCs. The other FPOs are situated in Ghoshi, Hisua, Minapur, Dalshingsarai, and Bidupur. Additionally, the project encompassed the promotion of various crops, including finger millet, lemongrass, mint, bananas, mustard, pulses, kitchen garden produce, mushrooms, and turmeric farming, actively involving over 1,700 women farmers. Furthermore, more than 100 women farmers, including FPC board members, received comprehensive training in business development, governance, and compliance.
This recognition notably underscores the tireless efforts of the FPO in enhancing the value of local agricultural products while promoting healthier food alternatives. The local food festival provided an exceptional platform to showcase and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of FPOs within the community. It is a testament to their dedication and commitment to sustainable agricultural practices and empowering women in the agricultural sector.