The South India times( Anantapur) :Strengthening its efforts to enhance livelihoods of farmer producers, Walmart Foundation and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid- Tropics (ICRISAT) have announced the launch of a Secondary Processing Unit (SPU) at Muddalapuram village in this district of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. The facility was inaugu- rated by State Agriculture & Food Processing Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
This unit will support farmers from the district with new livelihood and market access opportunities through value-added groundnut, millet, and other nutritious products.ICRISAT has been working along with its project implementation partner Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC), to accelerate Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and smallholder member-farm- ers benefits, through inter- ventions at various levels in the agricultural value chain. These efforts are in line with ICRISAT%E2%80%99s aim to turn dryland farming into a profitable enterprise through improved crop practices, post-harvest man- agement and new food pro- cessing opportunities for smallholder farmers.The SPU launched today is expected to benefit over 6,000 smallholder farmers in Anantapur district.
The facility, which has a built-up area of 1,000 square meters, is operated by women led Rythu Nestham Food Producer Company Limited (RNFP- CL).RNFPCL was established with support from ICRISAT and AFEC and formed by including farmers from nine FPOs across the eight mandals of Anantapur district.
The facility is equipped with five processing lines, which will produce highly nutritious millet and pulse based ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat formulations such as traditional khichdi and upma mixes, higholeic groundnut products – nutrition bars (chikki), cookies, snacks and savories, and healthy cold pressed groundnut oil. Walmart Foundation has a long-term commitment to support capacity building and farmer livelihoods by enhancing yields, which is achieved through improved farm practices, formal market linkages, and overall support for FPOs in their sustainability journeys.
