AP Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy inaugurated Walmart Foundation and ICRISAT, Secondary Processing Unit
PRESS RELEASE
ICRISAT to launch Secondary Processing Unit in Andhra Pradesh to support local FPOs and farmers
ICRISAT has been working along with its project implementation partner, Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC), to accelerate Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and smallholder member-farmers benefits, through interventions at various levels in the agricultural value chain. These efforts are in line with ICRISAT’s aim to turn dryland farming into a profitable enterprise through improved crop practices, post-harvest management and new food processing opportunities for smallholder farmers.
The SPU launched today is expected to benefit over 6,000 smallholder farmers in Anantapur district. The facility which has a built-up area of 1,000 square metres, is operated by women-led Rythu Nestham Food Producer Company Ltd (RNFPCL). RNFPCL was established with support from ICRISAT and AFEC and formed by including farmers from nine FPOs across the eight mandals of Anantapur district. The facility is equipped with five processing lines, which will produce highly nutritious millet and pulse based ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat formulations such as traditional khichdi and upma mixes, high oleic groundnut products - nutrition bars (chikki), cookies, snacks and savouries, and healthy cold pressed groundnut oil.
Walmart Foundation has a long-term commitment to support FPO’s capacity building and farmer livelihoods by enhancing yields which is achieved through improved farm practices, formal markets linkages, and overall support for FPOs in their sustainability journeys. The grant to ICRISAT aligns well with this mission and focus.
While launching the facility, Shri Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Minister for Agriculture & Cooperation, Marketing, Food Processing, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said, “Our government has prioritized making agriculture more viable and profitable for farming communities and has introduced key initiatives such as the development of community-managed sustainable farming initiatives. This women-led food processing unit will boost sustainable farming and market access for local agricultural communities, provide employment to women and youth and create new opportunities for community-managed industry through the development of more food processing units. We congratulate Walmart Foundation, Flipkart, ICRISAT and AFEC on this initiative, and look forward to more such collaborations in the future.”
Ms. Nagalakshmi.S. IAS, Collector and District Magistrate Ananthapuramu, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said, “The entire infrastructure of the unit will ensure improved livelihoods and better opportunities for smallholder farmers. We congratulate Walmart Foundation, ICRISAT, AFEC and Flipkart on the launch of this SPU in the district that will bring synergy between agriculture and food processing industry."
Julie Gehrki, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Walmart Foundation, said, “We are constantly looking for ways to empower our communities. Walmart Foundation’s grant to ICRISAT aims to better support farmers’ incomes while strengthening and diversifying the services of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to deliver benefits to their members. It aligns well with our efforts in India to provide grant support to programs expected to benefit and improve livelihoods by enhancing opportunities for smallholder farmers in the country.”
Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Flipkart, said, “Beyond Walmart Foundation’s philanthropic programs in India, Flipkart’s association with FPOs will deepen our commitment to creating shared value across our supply chain and communities, including creating newer avenues toward increasing farmer incomes and helping expand the reach of their products to consumers nationwide. As we continue to engage with diverse stakeholders to enable transformational development work for society and the economy, Flipkart is committed to continue strengthening our partnerships with a wider set of FPOs in the state of Andhra Pradesh to expand access to e-commerce.”
Dr Jaqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT said, "ICRISAT fosters entrepreneurship by opening new avenues for dryland farmers, particularly women. In partnership with the Walmart Foundation, ICRISAT is helping small-holder farming communities in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh to adopt sustainable farming practices. This will help them move out of subsistence farming to produce surpluses that can be sold in markets, paving the way for prosperity in the drylands. This processing unit, approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), will provide employment, reduce food wastages and promote food & nutritional security, for the smallholder farmers. It will empower farmers from remote geographies to access fair commodity value chains and improve livelihoods”.
Dr. Y.V. Malla Reddy, Director, Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC) said, “The successful establishment of the secondary processing unit compliments our efforts towards ensuring sustainable livelihoods of the drought affected farming communities in Anantapur through introduction of climate resilient cropping systems such as intercropping and mixed cropping, where the risk of drought is minimised and further facilitates market access”.
ICRISAT to launch Secondary Processing Unit in Andhra Pradesh to support local FPOs and farmers
- Project made possible with grant funding support from Walmart Foundation; represented by Flipkart
- Secondary Processing Unit in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh inaugurated by Minister for Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh Shri Kakani Govardhan Reddy
ICRISAT has been working along with its project implementation partner, Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC), to accelerate Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and smallholder member-farmers benefits, through interventions at various levels in the agricultural value chain. These efforts are in line with ICRISAT’s aim to turn dryland farming into a profitable enterprise through improved crop practices, post-harvest management and new food processing opportunities for smallholder farmers.
The SPU launched today is expected to benefit over 6,000 smallholder farmers in Anantapur district. The facility which has a built-up area of 1,000 square metres, is operated by women-led Rythu Nestham Food Producer Company Ltd (RNFPCL). RNFPCL was established with support from ICRISAT and AFEC and formed by including farmers from nine FPOs across the eight mandals of Anantapur district. The facility is equipped with five processing lines, which will produce highly nutritious millet and pulse based ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat formulations such as traditional khichdi and upma mixes, high oleic groundnut products - nutrition bars (chikki), cookies, snacks and savouries, and healthy cold pressed groundnut oil.
Walmart Foundation has a long-term commitment to support FPO’s capacity building and farmer livelihoods by enhancing yields which is achieved through improved farm practices, formal markets linkages, and overall support for FPOs in their sustainability journeys. The grant to ICRISAT aligns well with this mission and focus.
While launching the facility, Shri Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Minister for Agriculture & Cooperation, Marketing, Food Processing, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said, “Our government has prioritized making agriculture more viable and profitable for farming communities and has introduced key initiatives such as the development of community-managed sustainable farming initiatives. This women-led food processing unit will boost sustainable farming and market access for local agricultural communities, provide employment to women and youth and create new opportunities for community-managed industry through the development of more food processing units. We congratulate Walmart Foundation, Flipkart, ICRISAT and AFEC on this initiative, and look forward to more such collaborations in the future.”
Ms. Nagalakshmi.S. IAS, Collector and District Magistrate Ananthapuramu, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said, “The entire infrastructure of the unit will ensure improved livelihoods and better opportunities for smallholder farmers. We congratulate Walmart Foundation, ICRISAT, AFEC and Flipkart on the launch of this SPU in the district that will bring synergy between agriculture and food processing industry."
Julie Gehrki, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Walmart Foundation, said, “We are constantly looking for ways to empower our communities. Walmart Foundation’s grant to ICRISAT aims to better support farmers’ incomes while strengthening and diversifying the services of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to deliver benefits to their members. It aligns well with our efforts in India to provide grant support to programs expected to benefit and improve livelihoods by enhancing opportunities for smallholder farmers in the country.”
Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Flipkart, said, “Beyond Walmart Foundation’s philanthropic programs in India, Flipkart’s association with FPOs will deepen our commitment to creating shared value across our supply chain and communities, including creating newer avenues toward increasing farmer incomes and helping expand the reach of their products to consumers nationwide. As we continue to engage with diverse stakeholders to enable transformational development work for society and the economy, Flipkart is committed to continue strengthening our partnerships with a wider set of FPOs in the state of Andhra Pradesh to expand access to e-commerce.”
Dr Jaqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT said, "ICRISAT fosters entrepreneurship by opening new avenues for dryland farmers, particularly women. In partnership with the Walmart Foundation, ICRISAT is helping small-holder farming communities in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh to adopt sustainable farming practices. This will help them move out of subsistence farming to produce surpluses that can be sold in markets, paving the way for prosperity in the drylands. This processing unit, approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), will provide employment, reduce food wastages and promote food & nutritional security, for the smallholder farmers. It will empower farmers from remote geographies to access fair commodity value chains and improve livelihoods”.
Dr. Y.V. Malla Reddy, Director, Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC) said, “The successful establishment of the secondary processing unit compliments our efforts towards ensuring sustainable livelihoods of the drought affected farming communities in Anantapur through introduction of climate resilient cropping systems such as intercropping and mixed cropping, where the risk of drought is minimised and further facilitates market access”.