“We have been cultivating paddy for over ten years, but they (male farmers) rarely care about our preferences in farming, whether it is the variety of paddy or the marketing of our produce” - Bhumisuta Pradhan, Member of Loisingha Women Farmers Services Producer Company Limited (LWFSPCL) and paddy seed farmer.

Smt. Anjali Nag, Chariperson of the Board of Directors at LWFSPCL, addresses members during the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), inspiring them with a roadmap for success and growth.

This is a common trend across most developing countries and even though agriculture is feminising, gender gaps in access to inputs, information, technologies and markets persist. , “Leaving our villages and getting seeds and other inputs from the government offices or markets was very difficult for us. We always have housework to do and no time to go and buy these materials. Moreover, we also did not know about the seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, and the other tools and techniques that improve crop output, until we joined the women farmer producer company,” added Bhumisuta. To cater to the needs of women farmers, a Farmer Service Center (FSC) was established by LWFSPCL at Pipili village in Loisingha block of Balangir district in Odisha. LWFSPCL, a women-led farmer producer company, is being incubated by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Access Livelihoods Foundation (ALF) with support from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment of Odisha. Within one and half years of its formation, LWFSPCL has more than 1250 women farmers as shareholders with more than INR 54 lakh (about 64,100 USD) revenue generated from seed production in the last Kharif season.

Addressing the shareholders in the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on March 1, 2024, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of LWFSPCL, Smt Anjali Nag said, “When we started this W-FPC, one of our objectives was to engagemore women farmers in seed production. In the last Kharif season, 72 members engaged in seed production produced 2241 quintals of paddy seed. 34 women farmers will cultivate paddy seeds in 60 acres in this rabi season, and we aim to produce more than 1200 quintals. In addition, we are also growing foundation seed in 1 acre land.” The team from ALF and IRRI has been conducting periodic training for these members on quality seed production practices, and facilitating seed certification from Odisha State Seed & Organic Products Certification Agency (OSSOPCA).

While engaging women in seed production, LWFSPCL needed to ensure the timely provision of necessary inputs to its members, at reasonable prices, and delivered directly to their doorstep. This service played a crucial role in encouraging more women farmers to join the W-FPC, as they received quality seeds and adequate support for paddy seed cultivation. Highlighting the operational challenges Smt Sunanda Besra, a Director of LWFSPCL said, “Providing various services to our members through the producer company was not easy, as we had some challenges like storing the seeds and other materials in the absence of a warehouse and inconsistencies in record-keeping. After experiencing these problems in the last three farming seasons, we decided to set-up Farmer Service Centers at the panchayat level.”

The FSC at Pipili village will be the hub where women farmers can access quality inputs (seeds, fertilisers and biopesticides), extension services (custom recommendations based on crop, pest and disease management, and weather advisories) and also the procurement and aggregation center for seed and grain. Bhumisuta Pradhan expressing her appreciation said, “Having this FSC in our village certainly helps all the farmers like me to gain access to quality seeds and other inputs required for paddy seed cultivation. It will simplify our lives by reducing our need to travel, allowing us to visit the FSC at our convenience. This way, we can manage both our household work and also have the opportunity to learn new things and improve our farming skills.”

Anjali Nag, sharing future plans said, “LWFSPCL plans to open at least one FSC in each Gram Panchayat where we have members. In the coming years, we aim to move beyond just seed production and set up a processing unit so we enjoy higher margins by value addition.”

Gender gap in access to inputs has affected productivity in agriculture for the longest time and has proven to be a formidable barrier for women farmers. Supporting them through such measures will go a long way in accelerating gender equality in agriculture and contribute to food and nutrition security.