Farmers’ attitude towards farmer producer organizations: An ex-post-facto study in Uttar Pradesh

Introduction

Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have emerged as an important institutional mechanism for strengthening collective action among farmers and improving the economic position of small and marginal producers. The fragmentation of agricultural production, limited individual marketable surplus, high transaction costs and weak bargaining power often constrain the ability of small farmers to participate effectively in competitive agricultural markets. Collective organizations can help address these constraints by aggregating produce, facilitating collective input purchase, improving access to markets and services, and strengthening farmers' negotiating position (Nikam et al., 2019) [4] . The role of FPOs extends beyond collective marketing. Producer organizations can provide backward and forward linkages, facilitate access to technology and advisory services, improve market opportunities and contribute to reductions in transaction costs. Evidence from India suggests that participation in producer organizations can improve access to farm services and strengthen market access and bargaining power (Cherukuri & Reddy, 2014) [1] . More recent evidence from Uttar Pradesh has also examined associations between FPO membership and household-level outcomes, highlighting the increasing importance of FPOs within the state's agricultural development landscape. The Government of India has promoted FPOs as a mechanism for organizing farmers and strengthening their participation in agricultural value chains. The Central Sector Scheme for Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs provides institutional and financial support for the www.extensionjournal.com development of FPOs, including support for formation, promotion, capacity building and convergence with relevant schemes. However, the mere existence or membership of an FPO does not necessarily ensure effective participation or organizational sustainability. Farmers' attitudes towards the organization can influence their willingness to participate, cooperate with other members, use services, accept collective decisions and contribute to organizational activities. A favourable attitude may facilitate participation and strengthen the social and economic functioning of an FPO, whereas unfavourable perceptions regarding transparency, equality, decision-making or government support may weaken members' involvement. Attitude is therefore an important behavioural construct for understanding farmers' relationship with FPOs. Recent extension research has specifically recognized the importance of measuring attitude towards farmer producer companies and has developed standardized scales incorporating dimensions such as organizational performance, role, potential and organizational climate (Mukherjee et al., 2023) [3] . This demonstrates the relevance of systematically assessing farmers' attitudes towards producer organizations. In this context, the present study was undertaken to assess farmers' attitude towards FPOs in Jaunpur and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh. The attitude statements covered economic, organizational, technological, marketing, governance and developmental dimensions of FPO functioning. Particular attention was given to farmers' perceptions regarding input procurement, coordination with agricultural departments, processing and storage, marketing, profitability, transparency, participation in decision-making, disaster management and the developmental role of FPOs.

Research Methodology

The study followed an ex-post-facto research design, as specified in the approved synopsis. The design was appropriate because the characteristics and experiences associated with farmers' participation in FPOs had already occurred and were not manipulated by the researcher. The study was conducted in Jaunpur and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh was purposively selected, followed by purposive selection of the two districts based on the concentration of FPO activities. According to the approved synopsis, Jaunpur had 92 FPOs, whereas Ghazipur had 68 FPOs. A multistage sampling procedure was adopted. Blocks were selected purposively, followed by random selection of two FPOs from each selected block. From each selected FPO, 60 farmers were selected, giving a total sample size of 480 respondents. Primary data were collected using a structured interview schedule developed according to the objectives of the study. Farmers' attitude towards FPOs was measured using 16 statements comprising both positively and negatively worded statements. The statements covered the perceived benefits, services, functioning, governance and developmental role of FPOs. Responses were recorded on a five-point continuum consisting of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Undecided (UD), Disagree (DA) and Strongly Disagree (SDA). For positively worded statements, the scoring procedure was SA = 4, A = 3, UD = 2, DA = 1 and SDA = 0, whereas negative statements were reverse scored as SA = 0, A = 1, UD = 2, DA = 3 and SDA = 4. Thus, a higher score represented a more favourable attitude towards FPOs. The data were analyzed using frequency and percentage for statement-wise assessment. [4] . A particularly favourable response was observed for the statement concerning processing and storage of agricultural produce. As many as 397 respondents (82.7%) agreed that processing and storage were done neatly through the FPO, while 42 (8.8%) were undecided and 28 (5.8%) disagreed. This suggests that respondents perceived post-harvest management as one of the important functional benefits associated with FPO participation. Similarly, 367 respondents (76.5%) agreed that farmers received good profits through the common sale of agricultural produce by FPOs. This reflects a favourable perception of collective marketing and its potential to improve farmers' economic returns. The role of collective marketing in strengthening market access and bargaining power has also been documented in previous research on producer organizations in India (Cherukuri & Reddy, 2014; Trebbin, 2014) [1,5] . A favourable attitude was also observed regarding the statement that participation in FPOs saves labour, time and money. A total of 352 respondents (73.3%) agreed with this statement, while 58 (12.1%) were undecided and 57 (11.9%) disagreed. Further, 340 respondents (70.8%) agreed that FPOs prove useful in agricultural disaster management, although 99 respondents (20.6%) were undecided. This indicates that farmers recognized several practical and developmental functions of FPOs beyond marketing. The statement that FPO is a good concept for the development of small and marginal farmers received a comparatively different response pattern. Only 84 respondents (17.5%) agreed, while 341 respondents (71.0%) were undecided and 42 (8.8%) disagreed. The large undecided proportion suggests that, although farmers may recognize specific benefits of FPOs, many respondents had not yet formed a clear opinion regarding their broader developmental significance.

Results and Discussion

The negatively worded statements also revealed several favourable responses after considering the reverse scoring. For example, 410 respondents (85.4%) disagreed with the statement that the Board of Directors does not treat all farmer members equally, while 43 (9.0%) strongly disagreed. This indicates that most respondents did not perceive substantial inequality in the treatment of members. Similarly, 419 respondents (87.3%) disagreed with the statement that scientific information provided by FPOs is not up to date, while 29 (6.0%) agreed and 29 (6.0%) were undecided. This indicates that the majority of farmers did not perceive the scientific information supplied through FPOs as outdated.

A highly favourable response was observed for the statement that farmers face difficulties in using improved scientific technology despite their participation in FPOs. As many as 409 respondents (85.2%) strongly disagreed and 44 (9.2%) disagreed. The response suggests that most farmers did not perceive FPO participation as failing to facilitate access to improved technology. [3] .

Overall Attitude of Farmers towards

Attitude index

Attitude Index = 6447.67×100 = 74.48% Thus, the farmers obtained an aggregate attitude score of 47.67 out of 64, corresponding to an attitude index of 74.48 per cent.

Conclusion

The study revealed that farmers had a favourable attitude towards Farmer Producer Organizations, as indicated by the overall mean attitude score of 47.67 out of 64 and an attitude index of 74.48 per cent. Farmers particularly appreciated the role of FPOs in facilitating input procurement, processing and storage, collective marketing, profitability, coordination with government departments and access to improved agricultural technologies. The predominantly favourable responses to statements concerning transparency, equality among members, government support and decision-making further indicate that farmers generally viewed the functioning of FPOs positively. However, the relatively high proportion of undecided responses for some statements, particularly those concerning the broader developmental role of FPOs, suggests that all farmers may not yet have developed a clear understanding of the long-term potential of FPOs. Therefore, FPOs should focus on greater member orientation, transparent governance, participatory decision-making, regular communication and demonstration of tangible benefits. Extension agencies and FPO-promoting institutions should facilitate regular capacity-building programmes, exposure visits and farmer-FPO interaction platforms. Sustaining a favourable attitude among members will be important for strengthening participation, collective decision-making and the long-term viability of FPOs.

References

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2. Lalitha N, Viswanathan PK, Vinayan S. Institutional strengthening of Farmer Producer Organizations and empowerment of small farmers in India: evidence from a case study in Maharashtra. Journal of Asian and African Studies. 2024;59(2).
3. Mukherjee A, Singh P, Rakshit SS, Burman RR. Development and standardization of scale to measure farmer's attitude towards farmers' producer company. Indian Journal of Extension Education. 2023;54(4):8490.
4. Nikam V, Singh P, Ashok A, Kumar S. Farmer producer organisations: innovative institutions for upliftment of small farmers. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2019;89(9).
5. Trebbin A. Linking small farmers to modern retail through producer organizations: experiences with producer companies in India. Food Policy. 2014;45:3544.