Impact of millets FPOs on the socio-economic and livelihood of millet growers

Majority of the farmers in India depend on agriculture, which is one of the major sources of the country’s economy. Global population raise and their feeding has become one of the major concerns. Millets (Shree Anna) are nutritionally rich and can address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cultivating millets holds economic importance since they are frequently raised by smallholder farmers in developing nations, offering them a means of livelihood and food stability. Farmer collectives such as Millet FPOs, engaged in millet cultivation and promotion. Millet FPOs have the potential to overcome the challenges faced by millet growers through collective interventions. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of millet FPOs on the socio-economic and livelihood status of millet growers. A total of 360 farmers were randomly selected from 8 millet FPOs promoted by ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad. Data on occupational days, annual income, monthly expenditure, savings, access to credit, debt status, employment patterns and credit repayment were collected during 2025. Both parametric and non-parametric statistical tools were employed for analysis. Results indicated a significant improvement in the socio-economic status of farmers after joining millet FPOs, with notable gains in annual income, occupational days, monthly savings, expenditure, credit access, debt management, economic activities and repayment discipline. Hypothesis testing showed that the ‘t’-values for annual income (24.583), occupational days (62.274), savings (44.845), expenditure (38.535) and credit availability (14.083) were significant at the 1 % level.