A woman farmer from Jharkhand's Gumla district is demonstrating how traditional finger millet cultivation can support rural entrepreneurship, women's employment and agricultural value addition.

According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), 43-year-old Bhagwati Devi, from Alankera Pahartoli village, serves as chairperson of MVM Baghima Palkot Farmer Producer Company Limited.

The organisation works to strengthen the ragi value chain by connecting local farmers with processing, packaging and marketing opportunities.

Bhagwati Devi's journey began as a smallholder farmer with limited access to organised markets and income-generating opportunities. Her involvement in the farmer producer organisation helped her develop leadership skills and participate more actively in agricultural enterprise management.

The FPO was incorporated on September 30, 2022, under the Government of India's 10,000 FPO Scheme.

It was established with support from the Foundation for Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC) and the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS).

Through collective farming support and organised marketing, the organisation aims to improve the economic opportunities available to millet-growing households.

One of its initiatives involves providing free ragi seeds to local farmers, encouraging wider cultivation of finger millet in the region.

The enterprise also supports processing and packaging activities, allowing farmers and rural workers to participate in stages of the value chain beyond primary production.

Nearly 200 rural women are reportedly involved in full-time or part-time activities associated with the FPO.

These opportunities include processing, packaging and marketing ragi-based products, helping women develop practical skills and access additional sources of income.

ICAR reports that the organisation generates approximately ₹5.5 crore in annual revenue, illustrating the commercial scale that a farmer-led millet enterprise can achieve.

However, this figure represents reported business revenue and should not be interpreted as net profit or income distributed to individual members.

The initiative forms part of wider efforts to strengthen millet cultivation and value addition in Gumla, which is increasingly being promoted as an emerging ragi production and processing centre.

Through Jharkhand's Ragi Mission, institutional support and local entrepreneurship initiatives are helping connect traditional finger millet cultivation with commercial opportunities.

Bhagwati Devi plans to expand the organisation's range of ragi-based products, with an emphasis on diversification and market development.

The enterprise illustrates how farmer producer organisations can help link cultivation, processing and marketing while creating opportunities for women to participate in rural business leadership.

For India's millet sector, the Gumla example highlights the potential of collective enterprise models to improve market participation and develop value-added products from traditional crops.