Farmer Producer Consultant

United Way Mumbai; Dharashiv; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

United Way Mumbai seeks a Farmer Producer Group Manager to strengthen and grow the FPO, improving business turnover for member-farmers. You will mobilize financing, coordinate procurement and post-harvest activities, and build market linkages with buyers and government partners.

You will also oversee admin and financial processes, ensure statutory compliance, train farmers, and drive governance through Board meetings and AGM.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience in managing Farmer Producer Organizations or farmer groups.
• Strong understanding of FPO operations, business planning and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Develop sustainable business plans and roadmaps for the FPO.
• Mobilize resources via government grants, equity, and loans.
• Oversee administrative and financial aspects, including bookkeeping.
• Strengthen market linkages with buyers and government agencies.
• Organize procurement, post-harvest activities, and logistics.
• Train farmers and provide technical guidance on market trends and practices.
• Ensure legal and statutory compliance and maintain records.
• Coordinate governance activities including Board and AGM.

Skills

Communication skills

Documentation

English language

Marathi language

Stakeholder coordination

FPO operations

Business planning

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Agriculture / Rural Development / Agribusiness Management / Social Work / Business Management

Job description

The Farmer Producer Group Manager will be responsible for managing and strengthening the Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) to improve business growth and benefits for member-farmers. The role involves developing sustainable business plans, mobilizing financial resources, strengthening market linkages, supporting procurement and post-harvest activities, coordinating logistics, mobilizing and training farmers, and overseeing administrative and financial processes. The position will also be responsible for ensuring statutory compliance, maintaining records and documentation, facilitating governance processes, and coordinating with government bodies, implementing agencies, financial institutions, buyers, and funding partners such as NABARD.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop a sustainable business plan and detailed roadmap in coordination with the Board, and manage and grow the FPO to increase business turnover and profit for the benefit of member-farmers.
• Mobilize resources by securing financing, such as government grants, equity matching funds, and loans from financial institutions.
• Oversee all administrative and financial aspects, including maintaining accounts, managing cash flow, and ensuring transparent bookkeeping.
• Establish and strengthen market linkages with buyers, including private companies and government agencies, to secure better and more remunerative prices for members produce.
• Arrange for the bulk procurement of quality agricultural inputs-such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides-at lower wholesale rates, and facilitate post-harvest management activities like aggregation, cleaning, grading, sorting, and packaging to enhance the marketability of the produce.
• Organize logistics services, including transportation, storage, and handling of agricultural products, and work at the grassroots level to mobilize and motivate farmers to become shareholders in the FPO.
• Organize and facilitate training programs for member-farmers on modern agricultural practices, business management, and the use of technology, and provide technical advice and information on topics like market prices, weather patterns, and crop-specific best practices.
• Resolve farmer queries and ensure effective communication between the management, staff, and FPO members.
• Ensure the FPO adheres to all legal and statutory requirements from government departments, including the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and the Income Tax department, and maintain thorough records and documentation for all FPO activities, including progress reports, success stories, and an updated farmer database.
• Facilitate and organize key governance procedures such as regular Board of Directors meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and liaise with and report to a wide range of stakeholders, including government bodies, implementing agencies, and funding partners like NABARD.

Profile Requisites

• Bachelor s or Master s degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Agribusiness Management, Social Work, Business Management, or a related field.
• Relevant experience in managing Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), farmer groups, agricultural projects, or rural development programmes.
• Strong understanding of FPO operations, business planning, market linkages, procurement, and post-harvest management.
• Experience in farmer mobilization, stakeholder coordination, and working closely with farming communities at the grassroots level.
• Strong communication and documentation skills, with fluency in English and Marathi being mandatory