Itanagar, Jul 8: In a major initiative to strengthen rural livelihoods and promote women-led agricultural enterprises, the Namsai-based Retusa Women Farmer Producer Company Limited (WFPCL) is emerging as a catalyst of market-led agricultural development in eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
Promoted by the Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM), the Farmer Producer Company has been creating structured market linkages and strengthening Self-Help Group (SHG)-based collectivisation, enabling women farmers to secure better prices for their produce and expand their access to organised markets. It has undertaken procurement of key agricultural commodities, including buckwheat, ginger, mustard and large cardamom.
During the last procurement season, Retusa WFPCL aggregated 46 metric tonnes of buckwheat from Lower Dibang Valley, 32 metric tonnes of small ginger from Lower Dibang Valley, Namsai and Wakro, besides procuring 2.5 metric tonnes of large cardamom from Anjaw district. The initiative directly benefited 150 farmers across Anjaw, Namsai, Lohit and Lower Dibang Valley districts.
The company also successfully supplied 25 metric tonnes of buckwheat to X5 Agrotech Farm Producer Company Limited, Hyderabad, providing farmers with access to larger markets beyond the state.
The initiative is being led by Mimar Basar, CEO of Kenna WFPCL, Pasighat, who also serves as CEO-in-Charge of Retusa WFPCL, under the guidance of Chairperson Nang Onjini Namchoom and Director Nang Kyatom Macheykun.
The procurement operations were supported by Procurement Manager Rajawan Mantaw, Area Procurement Officers Rebika Namchoom and Jumpi Noshi Lobom, and Finance Manager Dhananjay Kumar under the overall supervision of District Mission Manager Senong Namchoom of the District Mission Management Unit (DMMU), Roing, under ArSRLM.
Officials said the achievements highlight the growing role of Farmer Producer Companies in strengthening agricultural value chains through aggregation, grading, quality assurance, logistics, financial management and market negotiations.
By collectively undertaking these activities, the FPC has enhanced farmers' bargaining power, improved price realization and strengthened market access, thereby contributing to sustainable livelihoods and women-led economic empowerment in rural Arunachal Pradesh.