September 2017: The MSSRF facilitated Farmer Producer Company, the Illuppur Agriculture Producer Company Limited (IAPCL),based in Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, celebrated its third annual day along with their general body meeting in September 2017.

Around 900 shareholders and other stakeholders participated in the event. The Annual Report was submitted by the Board of Directors and released by the guests. The Board elected 15 farmer leaders as Directors. The new Directors expressed confidence to do better in all enterprise activities.

The IAPCL was set up with the help of MSSRF, by bringing in over 1000 farmers from five panchayats in Pudukottai to produce and market pulses under the ‘Patikaadu’ brand. This has subsequently increased the farmers’ productivity and income as all the farmers are shareholders in the company.

Dr Rengalakshmi, Director, Ecotechnology, MSSRF, Representatives from TNSFAC, Dept. of Agribusiness, National Pulses Research Centre, Regional Animal husbandry research and Education centre, NABARD, Kalanjiam Thozhilagam Limited, and other stakeholders participated in the event.

The speakers hoped that in the coming years the Farmer Producer Company would achieve the status of best performing Farmer Producer Company in the state.  The Board also requested IAPCL be established as a hands-on training centre to share their experiences and knowledge to the other FPCs.

The “Patikaadu Campus” was inaugurated during this occasion, at Govindanaickanpatti village near Illuppur town. The Patikaadu campus is a resource centre with the space of 4.5 acres to establish all support mechanisms for the farmers in forward and backward integration activities.