An analysis of profile characteristics of Board of Directors (BoDs) of selected FPOs in Telangana state

Abstract

As per Y.K. Alagh Committee's recommendations in 2001, the Government of India revised the Companies Act, 1956 to introduce the idea of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). FPOs are uniquely equipped to create income-generating prospects through innovative, community-based initiatives such as food processing units led by FPOs and the cultivation of agricultural inputs like seeds and saplings. As per 2025 data, 375 FPOs have been formed under NABARD's direction, with around 1.59 lakh farmer members. Of these, 11 are women-oriented FPOs, with a total of 3,393 women members. The current study was carried out for the Board of Directors of Telangana state's FPOs that were sponsored by NABARD. From both women's and mixed FPOs, the samples were chosen at random; that is, 60 women's BoDs from women's FPOs and 60 men's BoDs from mixed FPOs. Thus, making up the 180-respondent sample. The results showed that, among personal variable, majority of the BoDs belonged to middle age group belonged to BC community, educated upto high school, married, and belonged to nuclear family with medium family size. With regard to social variables, in both FPOs, majority of the men BoDs and women BoDs had agriculture as their major occupation having 5 years of FPO working experience. The majority of the BoDs from both the FPOs belonged to medium level of social and extension contact. In economic variables, majority of the BoDs belonged to medium level of annual income by having semi medium to medium category of land holding.