Telangana: Women members of Godavari FPO script success story by selling fine quality rice at low price

Women members of Godavari Farmer Producers Organisation-Jaipur and Bheemaram mandals are silently scripting a success story by selling fine quality rice at a comparatively lower price than the market for the first time

Mancherial: Women members of Godavari Farmer Producers Organisation (FPO)-Jaipur and Bheemaram mandals are silently scripting a success story by selling fine quality rice at a comparatively lower price than the market for the first time.

Foodies of this region have a special bond with Jai Sriram rice variety considering the sleek and unique taste of the grains. However, they are worried about the soaring price of the grains caused by low yield of the crop due to scanty rainfall. They are now relieved to find a store run by the FPO to sell the rice for Rs 5,850 per quintal.

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“We ventured into this business to sell the rice grains to customers without expecting profits for the first time. We procured paddy produce from local farmers by offering a minimum support price fixed by the government. We could sell over 100 quintals of rice so far as against the target of 400 quintals in the initial year,” Maidam Jyothi, Godavari FPO chairperson told ‘Telangana Today‘.

Jyothi further said they were evoking good response from customers from only Mancherial, but several parts of Telangana. She stated that they sold 10 quintals of rice to Nizamabad Collectorate and members of a gated community in Hyderabad expressed interest to buy rice. She added that they were ready to accept orders from anywhere in the country.

The members of the FPO are gathering paddy from 360 women members of self-help groups operated in Jaipur, Bheemaram and surrounding mandals. They then mill paddy in local mills. They set up a store in a room belonging to the District Rural Development Organisation (DRDO) in Mancherial district centre in order to sell the rice on December 30.

The members informed that they had already procured 400 quintals of paddy produce and were planning to buy 600 quintals considering the success of their venture. They recalled that they entered into trading fertilizers for the convenience of farmers in 2021 and mangoes, pigeon peas, turmeric and chilli powder in 2022 as well. They thanked officials of DRDO for extending support and helping in marketing the grains.