Plea to transform federation into ‘producer company’

To give a boost to the farmers’ club in Ottapidaram block in Thoothukudi district, like-minded farmers have sought help from the authorities to provide financial support.

The farmers of this club, earlier named as ‘Veerapandia Kattabomman’ in 2006 at Athanoor village, had been mostly adopting organic farming methods to raise their crops. These farmers had been relying mainly on millets and pulses.

With active and collective participation of more farmers, this club was energized to form a federation called “Ottapidaram Vattara Vivasaya Vilai Porul Urpathiiyalargal Kootamaippu(Ottapidaram Block Farm Producers Federation)” in 2012.

Farmers were landless and economically backward in Ottapidaram, where rainfed cultivation remained the mainstay.

To financially aid these farmers with credit facilities and also to protect this traditional way of agriculture besides guarding them with insurance cover, this federation should be revived with a new status by transforming it to a ‘producer company,’ S. Mallusamy, secretary of this federation told The Hindu here on Saturday.

The concept behind this method of farming is ‘Iniyellam Iyarkaiye,’ he said. Organic farming practices help in soil and water conservation and to reduce pollution, he said.

Once this farm producer’s federation was transformed into a ‘producer company,’ it could be registered under the Companies Act.

Since the inception of this club in 2006, the progressive farmers had been largely supported and guided by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Mr. Mallusamy added.

Hence, a representation was made to the Chief General Manager of NABARD, S. Nagoor Ali Jinnah, seeking support to transform this farmers’ federation into a producer company.

Referring to performance of this club, he said Activity Based Groups (ABG) for maize cultivation in this block was introduced by NABARD in November 2009 with hundred Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) comprising 500 farmers, who played a pivotal role in increasing productivity.

Currently, the farmers’ federation comprised 864 farmers and more farmers were expected to join in the coming days, he said.