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Relevance of Dharani FaM Co-op Ltd
The small-holder farmer, in dryland/rainfed areas such as Anantapur district, is today being systematically wiped out. They are being told that they do not know farming, their economies of scale are not alright, they need to grow hybrid or genetically modified cash crops and use nitrogen intensive chemical fertilisers and pesticides, not just if they want bumper crops but even to survive.

After almost 40 years of groundnut mono cropping and nitrogen based chemicals, the soil of Anantapur district is as famished as small-holder farmers themselves, if not more. (http://www.youtube.com/user/timbaktu141190#p/u/1/u2kIhrTA2Ho)

In this situation, rather than buttressing the position of the small farmer, the State seems to be bent on confirming the unviability of small farming, promoting the ever growing intrusion of corporate control over agriculture, and the industrialisation of agriculture, through which the independent small holder farmer is converted to a mere supplier of labour. The proposed ‘Co-operative Farming Bill’ may be another nail in the coffin of small farming in Andhra Pradesh.

At this juncture, the Co-operative believes that, for the small-holder farmers to survive, to be food secure and sovereign, there needs to be a change of strategy. They need to start engaging with the market, not as weaker opponents, but from their so far unrealized strength of collective numbers. The small-holder farmers, masters of the theatre of survival, know this. In this globalised era, it is imperative that the small-holder farmers while growing good food and husbanding their soils individually, in the best ecological traditions, need to come together as collectives, as producer owned co-operatives or companies, to negotiate with the market and extract a larger share from it.

Why best ecological traditions? Because that is the only way the soil can remain healthy and productive. It means no chemicals, no external inputs, total seed sovereignty, less water consumption, low capital costs, more bio-mass, more livestock, multiple and varied crops, multiple livelihood options, good food and good health for the producers and the consumers.

By growing, processing and marketing organic food, farmers will be able to reach out to the ever-growing demand in niche markets. This is the only way they will be able to sell their produce for what it is really worth. But most importantly they will be able to heal their lands, bring back the cattle, sheep, goats chickens into their lives, increase the productivity of their lands and earn more from their animals. They will eat better and grow what is right for themselves, their animals and their land. Leading to food security and food sovereignty, for the country and for the farmer.

Dharani FaM Co-op Ltd., was thus established to play a greater role in addressing all this. As a producer owned co-operative, it can ensure its members better and fair price for their produce. The members are also assured of the market for their produce through its marketing activities. Linking the farmer members to the growing organic market will add to the direct returns of the farmer members. Provision of cultivation loans through the co-operative will also reduce the debt burden of the farmers, at least to the extent of relieving them from the clutches of the local moneylenders / traders. The members are also entitled to share the profit of the co-operative once it crosses the break-even point.

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