| Abstract: |
The agricultural sector of India, which provides about 46.1 percent of the national working population and almost 16 percent of the GDP, is still characterized by small and marginal farmers which occupy 86.1 percent of the total operated holdings. These farmers experience chronic threats of disjointed farmlands, low access to the market, increasing costs of inputs, as well as information asymmetry, which reduced their income and bargaining power. This paper will be seeking to explore how agri-startups and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) can synergize to promote better market access and value realization by the smallholder farmers in India. The study aims at determining the growth pattern and performance of FPOs and agri-startups and also determining the effect of these on the market integration and income improvement of farmers. Descriptive-analytical research design was followed and secondary data were used, such as NABARD, SFAC, Ministry of Agriculture, and published research. The hypothesis states that joint working of FPOs and agri-startups would greatly enhance the market participation and price realization of farmers. Findings show that the membership of FPOs has a positive effect on the net returns, and electronic platforms such as e-NAM have incorporated more than 1.78 crore farmers into the transparent market system. The paper finds that, institutional empowerment of FPOs through technology-based interventions of agri-startups can form a sound ecosystem in empowering smallholders and in marketing sustainable agricultural produce. |
