Role of FPCs in accessing inputs, marketing and improving household economy: Evidences from Alipurduar district from West Bengal

Due to lack of sufficient bargaining power in the competitive business environment, the small and marginal farmers are facing the problem of marginalization in both input and output markets and also severe challenges in accessing improved inputs and credit at reasonable cost. Due to adherence to traditional production practices and lack of proper value chains, their marketable surplus is also small. The present paper aims to examine the impact of the Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in the household economy of the farmers using field survey data from the Indian state of West Bengal. The farmers aggregate in FPCs to enjoy economies of scale and to mitigate their risks through the way of access to improved inputs, technologies, storage, marketing and credit. The member farmers have higher linkages and higher temporal and informational efficiency.