The Hindu : VFPCK spreads its wings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

VFPCK spreads its wings

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI JUNE 25. Farmers' self-help groups (SHGs) in the district under the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) have achieved a turnover of Rs. 6.48 crore during the last fiscal.

The number of SHGs in the district had gone up to 315 and 6,238 farmers operate through these groups in 19 sites in the district. The district has also 18 marketing outlets — Swashraya Karshaka Sangham — run by the farmers.

In each of these markets, vegetables and fruits, mostly bananas, are sold on fixed days of the week either through auctions or on the prices quoted by the vegetable buyers.

The council has extended its promotional activities to 11 districts in the State now.

There are 2,230 SHGs all over the State covering 40,603 farmers. Under the VFPCK programme, about 15,000 hectares of land had come under the self-help groups.

The number of marketing centres have gone up to 111 and they sell an average of 225 tonnes of vegetables and fruits per day.

During the last fiscal, the total turnover was around Rs. 40 crores, said the chief executive officer of the council, K. R. Vishwambharan.

The VFPCK programme has been able to help improve the economic situation for the farmers in a radical way, says Mr. Vishwambharan.

VFPCK was constituted two years ago after the European-Union funded Kerala Horticulture Development Programme was wound up.

Both the programme and its successor were set up with a view to improving the lot of small farmers who took to cultivation of fruits and vegetables for earning their livelihood.

Farmers have now been organised into groups of 20 and the council acts as the binding force behind these self-help groups, aiding them in getting finance as well as providing know-how and technological inputs.

The council's programme has helped farmers realise better prices than they would otherwise.

The marketing outlets are competitive and run by the farmers.

The Council's promotional activities have, thus, helped eliminate middlemen in the marketing of fruits and vegetables.

The council has a corpus fund of Rs. 70 crores to help the farmers and banks have readily extended loans to the self-help groups on the strength of this backing.

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