Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam

Updated on Nov 25, 2023

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Founded 2001 Products Services		Area served Kerala Services X, Y, Z
Type company registered under section 25 of Indian Companies Act 1956 Government of Kerala Headquarters Mythri Bhavan,Near Doordarsan Kendra,Kakkanad,Kochi, Kerala, India

Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) is an ISO 9001–2000 certified company registered under section 25 of Indian Companies Act 1956 and has been established to bring about overall development of fruit and vegetable sector in Kerala. Established in 2001 as the successor organization of Kerala Horticulture Development Programme (KHDP), VFPCK is managed by a result oriented multidisciplinary team of professionals. Needless to say, KHDP, funded by European Union, was one of the most successful agricultural development projects ever undertaken in the country. KHDP could effectively introduce several agricultural developmental policies and redress long-standing problems that plagued the agricultural sector. The Self Help Groups (SHGs) conceptualised by the Council form the base units for all the interventions like Extension, Rural Credit, Group Marketing, Participatory Technology Development (PTD), Value Additions and Exports.

About the company

VFPCK is a company with majority stake of farmers and the Government and financial institutions as the other major shareholders. Self Help Groups of farmers constitutes 50% of shares, Government of Kerala has 30% and other related institutions hold 20% of VFPCK’s shares.

Board of Directors

The Director Board with 11 members is chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Government of Kerala and acts as the governing body of the Council. The board members include senior Government officials like Agricultural Production Commissioner, Secretary (Finance), Chief Executive Officer of VFPCK, four persons including a woman to be elected from the SHGs and one representative each from participating banks, national agency in horticulture and European Union.

Vision

To mould VFPCK as a centre of excellence in the domain of horticulture

Mission

To introduce and implement schemes in the field of horticulture which will benefit the farmers and to create attitudinal change towards farming activities among all class of people.

Objective

The Primary objective of the Council is to improve the livelihood of vegetable and fruit farmers by empowering them to carry on vegetable and fruit production, value addition and marketing as a profitable venture in a sustainable way. It also aims to continue the successful activities initiated by Kerala Horticulture Development Programme.

Self Help Groups

Self Help Groups (SHGs) are the backbone of VFPCK. SHGs are groups of farmers with identified common objectives, tasks, group identities and neighbourhood. It is a system where all members work together to address problems and utilize opportunities through participatory action after co-operative decision making for the overall development of members. The Council is moulding the SHGs as the basic local institutional units for introducing innovative interventions in horticulture. At present Council have nearly 5800 SHGs and about 111000 farmers.

Features of VFPCK Self Help Groups

The council aims to attain the objectives through the principle of “Self Help, Participation and Prosperity”. Major innovative concepts developed and implemented by VFPCK are as follows:

Voluntary group of 15-20 commercial fruit and vegetable cultivators.

Formed based on neighbourhood principle.

Function observing a set of mutually agreed norms.

Have regular meetings, discussions and common decisions.

SHG is a basic platform for

Increased social interaction

Collective bargaining

Quality input sourcing

Advanced production technology and production planning

Micro finance.

Development of farmer market.

Problem solving.

Total empowerment of farmers.

Master Farmers

Unlike the traditional system of agricultural extension, in VFPCK, the dissemination of information is routed through Master Farmers. Three farmer leaders called Master Farmers (MFs) are selected in each SHG and are trained for leading each group. They lead farmers in the areas of production, credit and marketing. SHG membership enables farmers access to credit, training and to technical advice from the Council staff, but benefits have gone beyond production related aspects.

Office-less extension

The extension approach of VFPCK is unique with features like office less extension, frequent farm and home visits, and mass awareness programmes like campaigns and demonstrations. The extension officers of VFPCK are regularly visiting the farmers’ fields as per fixed schedule and give necessary technical advice and other leadership support.

Group Marketing

The Council has developed a unique group marketing concept which is production center oriented and farmer participatory. A group of 7 to 15 neighbouring SHGs will constitute a Field Centre (FC) wherein the SHG farmers bring their produce to a common place for marketing. Traders are coming to the Field Centers and this will increase the bargaining power of the farmers. To give additional support for bargaining the VFPCK Market Information Centre (MIC) make available the daily market prices of banana and all other vegetables collected from different markets in Kerala and even outside. VFPCK provides account books and platform weighing scale to Field Centers initially. After evaluating the performance at different stages FCs are elevated to Swasraya Karshaka Samithis (SKS) and are provided with various other supports like additional platform weighing scale, furniture, telephone, major expense reimbursement for a year, land and building. Some of these markets have achieved an annual turnover of more than one crore.

Participatory Credit

The credit package of VFPCK is unique and has given due importance for easy access, sufficient and timely credit to farmers. This innovative credit package was designed in such a manner so as to extend credit support to leased land farmers too. A MoU was signed between VFPCK and 11 banks in the state for disbursement of credit to farmers. The SHG assess the credit worthiness and credit requirements of its members through a participatory credit planning session.

Participatory Technology Development

The Council is trying out the concept of Participatory Technology Development (PTD), a novel methodology for technology development and refinement with farmer participation. The experimental capacities of the farmers are enhanced through this participatory approach and farmers learn to solve their problems by themselves.

Achievements

They set up household gardens at nominal rates.

Promoted the concept of SHGs among horticultural farmers for their economic stability and better farming decisions. Formed around 8025 SHGs thereby bringing under more than 1.55 lakhs commercial fruits and vegetables farmers under its roof in Kerala. In that 452 SHGS are run by women. Equipped SHGs to ascertain financial needs and prudent use of funds.

Facilitated farmers as farmer trainers and equipped them for farm research. Conducted more than 9966 farmer trainings and around 3264 master farmer trainings. Around 2870 participatory technology development trials were conducted.

Produced, processed and marketed 318.615 MT of quality vegetable seeds and around 9.8 lakhs tissue culture banana seedlings of high purity and varietals preferences to cater to the requirements of South India.

Promoted production centre oriented farmer markets ensuring better producer share of consumer rupee and collective bargaining power of farmers.

VFPCK have initiated 274 farmer markets through which 121000 MT produces were sold for the year 2011-12, for a total value of Rs. 187.74 crores.

Provided land and building worth Rs. 10 -12 lakhs each for 110 SKSs

Developed a data bank of daily market prices and arrivals for the last 12 years of 40 varieties of vegetables and banana from 16 centers in Kerala and 4 from other states for market oriented production of vegetables and fruits and improved marketing decisions.

The farmer friendly credit package of VFPCK enhanced fruits and vegetable production. A total amount Rs. 586.41 crores was dispersed to farmers as easy farm credit and an interest subsidy for of Rs. 116.87 lakhs was also given.

Unique insurance packages were developed for covering the crops and social security of farmers. 5917 farmers were covered under crop insurance and 426 farmers under social security scheme annually.

A fruit processing unit was established where 56 MTs of banana chips was produced and marketed under the brand name VEFCO FRYS.

Explored the export possibility of fresh fruits and vegetables and other value added products into global market. Exported 500 MT of produces to Middle East countries.

Launched “Agri@School” programme to induce aptitude towards agriculture among school children. 762 schools were participated in this programme.

An urban household farming venture called “Haritha Nagari” was introduced with an aim oft promoting organic vegetable cultivation and the same was set up in 7861 households.

Equipped a team of professionally qualified and experienced extension personnel for successful interventions.

New venture "cut vegetables"

Ready to cook chopped and wrapped vegetables. The unit was launched in quick succession in the district of Thiruvananthapuram sooner it Will be introduced in Kochi and kozhikkode

References

Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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