Two farmer producer organizations (FPOs) from Titilagarh in Balangir district have exported a 50-quintal consignment of mangoes to Europe and supplied an additional 20 quintals to Mother Dairy in New Delhi. The initiative was supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the horticulture department, the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), and Anchalik Samrudhi Sadhana Anusthan (ASSA), which provides training, capacity building, and market linkage assistance to the FPOs.
"This marks a turning point for mango farmers in the region, who have traditionally relied on local markets with volatile pricing. Through collective action, aggregation, and direct linkages with institutional buyers like Mother Dairy, we are seeing tangible benefits reaching farmers at the grassroots level," said Bivek Kumar Nayak, District Development Manager at NABARD.
Looking ahead, plans are in place to scale up the volume of produce and diversify into other fruits and vegetables. Sanjib Kumar Pattnaik, Secretary of ASSA, noted, "This initiative, as a replicable model for FPO-led horticulture marketing, will be expanded to other parts of the district."
More than 25 local mango farmers have already benefited from the project by securing better prices and avoiding distress sales. Mangoes were sourced, quality-checked, graded, and packaged by the FPOs, and sold at INR 70 per kg, equivalent to approximately $0.84 per kg. A consignment of the Amrapali variety was air-shipped to Europe on May 5. Other varieties, including Mallika, Lengeda, Amrapali, and Dasheri, were sent to Delhi.
A member of the FPO shared, "We are pleased with this initiative, which strengthens FPOs, reduces dependence on middlemen, and ensures better incomes for small and marginal farmers. The improved prices have encouraged farmers to consider expanding mango cultivation in the coming seasons."
Source: Times of India
