Warm greetings from the Jeevidam team!
As we conclude the final quarter of 2025, this edition reflects Jeevidam’s continued efforts to strengthen Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) through better infrastructure, diversified livelihoods, and stronger market connections. Across locations, the focus has been on helping farmers move beyond production towards sustainable income and enterprise-led growth.
This issue highlights the growing importance of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), which is enabling FPOs to invest in storage, processing, and value addition. By combining AIF with other schemes and using the moratorium period effectively, FPOs are reducing risk and building long-term business capacity.
Read moreFeatured Article
Introduction: The Hidden Opportunity in Agri-Finance
Entrepreneurs, startups, and farmers often face a significant hurdle in bringing agricultural innovations to life: securing adequate funding for infrastructure. To address this, the Government of India launched the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), a strategic ₹1 lakh crore corpus designed to catalyze post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.
Read moreUpdates on Productivity Enhancement
At the Ilayankudi Farm Field School, chilli farmers cut weeding labour by 50% by shifting from traditional practices to ridge-based zigzag planting. This reduced costs by ₹1,250 per weeding cycle and delivered savings of ₹3,750 per crop. A clear case of how smart farming strengthens both farmer incomes and FPO margins.
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As part of Jeevidam’s continued efforts to strengthen livelihoods among poor and vulnerable households, mushroom cultivation has emerged as a key productivity enhancement intervention across multiple locations. The initiative focuses on equipping members with practical skills for small-scale, sustainable income generation that complements existing farm activities.
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To advance sustainable poverty reduction and ensure year-round income security for its members, the Jeevidam programme continues to invest in non-farming vocational skill development. By expanding livelihoods beyond agriculture into handicrafts, tailoring, and household production, Jeevidam is enabling families to generate supplemental income irrespective of crop cycles and seasonal uncertainties.
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To promote aquaculture as a sustainable livelihood option, a Fish Rearing Workshop was organised in Ilayankudi, building on the 16 farm ponds renovated in the previous year. The workshop aimed to activate these assets by initiating fish rearing activities and was attended by pond owners along with other interested farmers from the locality.
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As part of its productivity enhancement initiatives, Shanarpatty FPO conducted a focused cattle feed orientation in October 2025, reaching 40 member farmers. The session emphasized the role of balanced cattle feed in improving milk yield, animal health, and overall farm profitability.
Read moreUpdates on People Business
In December 2025, the Uthamapalayam Farmers Producer Company Ltd made significant progress in strengthening its business operations and market linkages, with focused efforts on its key commodities—paddy and coconut. The month reflected a strong push towards improving procurement efficiency, market access, and institutional readiness.
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During December 2025, focused efforts were undertaken to strengthen chilly marketing, with emphasis on market research, quality assurance, and the establishment of direct trade linkages. In Mudukulathur, the CEO conducted an on-ground market study by interacting with traders and commission agents at the Paramakudi chilly market, gaining insights into the supply chain dynamics of Mundu chilly.
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During December 2025, maize marketing efforts were primarily concentrated at the Vathalagundu Kalanjia Jeevidam 10K Farmer Producer Company Limited, where maize serves as a critical input for the FPO’s value-added business operations. The focus remained on strengthening direct procurement systems to ensure quality raw material while securing fair prices for member farmers.
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The groundnut oil enterprise has emerged as a strong example of value addition within the Jeevidam programme, led by the Ponnamaravathy Kalanjia Jeevidam FPCL, which operates a dedicated oil unit as a core business activity. With groundnut identified as a key crop across Ponnamaravathy, Parangipettai, and Sirukaveripakkam, the initiative demonstrates how local produce can be transformed into reliable, member-centric enterprises.
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The Thalainayiru Neithal Jeevidam Producer Company Limited (PCL) is making significant progress in its mission to enhance farmer livelihoods through the establishment of a dedicated rice mill unit located in Kovilpathu. Supported by NABARD, this initiative represents a major step forward in agricultural value-addition for the region’s producers.
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The Diwali season in October 2025 turned into a landmark moment for Jeevidam-promoted FPOs, as Consumer Mutuals and grocery kit businesses delivered exceptional turnovers, deep member engagement, and operational confidence across locations. Leveraging festive demand, FPOs demonstrated their ability to aggregate, distribute, and market essential commodities at scale—while keeping value firmly within the member ecosystem.
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The Jeevidam team undertook a field visit to Jawadhu Hills Farmer Producer Organisation at Jamunamarathur on 27th November 2025 to review ongoing operations and strengthen business planning for the upcoming season.
Read moreUpdates on Capacity Building Trainings - Strengthening Leadership
To enhance institutional capacity and strengthen operational effectiveness, the Jeevidam Integrator and two Leaders (Board of Directors) of Walajabad Neithal Jeevidam FPO participated in a three-day leadership training programme at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Training Centre, Salem. The programme was designed to deepen the technical and managerial understanding of FPO leadership, enabling them to lead more resilient and market-ready farmer institutions.
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In November 2025, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs promoted under the Jeevidam programme) organized PM-Kisan webcast screening events to coincide with the national launch of the 21st installment of the PM-Kisan scheme. These community-level screenings enabled shareholders to collectively access and understand key government announcements, bridging the gap between national policy events and rural communities.
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In a significant step toward high-value agribusiness, Vathalagundu Kalanjia Jeevidam 10K FPO participated in a focused conference on Moringa Export and Processing held at the Theni District Collectorate on 14 October 2025. The event marked an important milestone for the FPO as it explored pathways to move beyond primary production and enter competitive export markets.
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During the October–December 2025 quarter, Jeevidam Limited, functioning as a Specialized People Institution for Community Empowerment (SPICE) within the DHAN Collective, played a key coordination role in regional committee meetings held across Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, and Dindigul. These regional platforms served as critical spaces for aligning Federations, FPOs, and support institutions around the Jeevidam Integration Mechanism.
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The Jeevidam team facilitated a two-day immersive learning programme for the final-year PG Diploma students of The DHAN Academy (TDA) on 15th and 16th November 2025, blending conceptual learning with hands-on field exposure to strengthen their understanding of livelihood institutions.
Read moreNew Launches
Jeevidam facilitated the launch of the Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP) at K.V. Kuppam on Wednesday, 8th October 2025, marking a significant step towards integrated and sustainable rural development. The HRDP aims to address rural challenges through a convergent approach, integrating interventions in agriculture, health, education, environment, and livelihood development. The programme will be implemented across 15 villages in K.V. Kuppam block over a three-year period, with financial support from HDFC Bank Parivartan and technical facilitation by DHAN Foundation.
Read moreSuccess Story Spotlight
Big change doesn’t always begin with big investments. Sometimes, it starts with something as simple as two bee boxes. That belief came alive through the Shivaganga Kalanjia Jeevidam 10K Honey Bee Producer Company in Tumkur, Karnataka—a farmer-led initiative that transformed small beginnings into national recognition. More than a beekeeping effort, the initiative has emerged as a powerful example of how community-led enterprises can create sustainable livelihoods.
Read moreAudio - Vayalgam Radio training Programme to Joint Secretaries on Basic Marketing Skill
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