Impact of famer producer organisation on capacity building services of small and marginal farmers: Evidence from tribal Maharashtra, India

Abstract

This study examines the impact of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) on the capacity-building services received by small and marginal farmers in Nandurbar, a tribal district of Maharashtra, India. Using data from 202 farmers across two FPOs-Vanashree FPC and Akkarani FPC-and employing exploratory factor analysis, the research identifies six key dimensions driving farmer engagement: Planning & Business Development, Marketing Management, Operational Control, Financial Management, Democratic Leadership, and Business Operations. Results show high satisfaction (>3.9/5) with core services like input access, extension, and credit, but lower scores (<3.5) in branding, ICT use, and market intelligence. Small farmers consistently outperform marginal farmers across all service domains, revealing persistent inequities linked to landholding size, education, and gender. The findings underscore the need for inclusive, targeted interventions-such as digital literacy, low-cost mechanization, and gender-sensitive outreach-to ensure FPOs empower the most vulnerable farmers and fulfill their transformative potential in tribal agrarian economies.