Guwahati, Oct 25 (PTI) A collective endeavour by 14 farmers in Golaghat district, which has grown into a community-driven group with around 1,500 members and supplies organic produce to overseas markets, has been selected for this year’s third-highest civilian award of the Assam government.
The Padumpathar Agro Organic Producers Company Limited, a Farmer Producer Company (FPC), is among the recipients of the ‘Assam Gaurav Award 2026’, which was announced on Friday.
“From an initial group of approximately 14 farmers, we have grown into a network of around 1,500 farmer-shareholders, cultivating approximately 1,500 acres,” Sanjit Biswakarma, among the directors of the company, said on Sunday.
“Our company exemplifies how community participation, agricultural knowledge and market-oriented planning can help build a rural enterprise,” he added.
The initiative began in 2009-2010, when around 14 farmers came together under the banner of the Padumpathar Sagarmatha Agricultural Service Group (ASG), with guidance from the agriculture department and the district agricultural office in Golaghat.
As the initiative progressed, the farmers established the Padumpathar Organic Growers Society, a Farmers’ Interest Group (FIG). With growing awareness of organic cultivation and its commercial potential, the society expanded to approximately 50 members, who cultivated around 50 acres of land.
A major milestone came on August 24, 2017, when Padumpathar Agro Organic Producers Company Limited was incorporated, Biswakarma said.
Its establishment was associated with the Central government’s Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), a programme aimed at promoting organic production, developing value chains and improving market access for farmers in the region.
Biswakarma highlighted that the expansion brought a large number of farmers under a common institutional framework, creating opportunities to improve agricultural knowledge, strengthen market linkages and explore value-added products.
He said the company focuses on agricultural products such as ginger, turmeric and Assam lemon, combining cultivation with processing and marketing to enhance the commercial value of local produce.
Beyond selling raw agricultural products, the company has undertaken value-addition activities, including processing selected produce into powder and packaging it for sale, chairman Anjal Limbu said.
He added that the products have reached markets in approximately 17 Indian states, with exports to Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
The company has participated in agricultural events in Germany and Italy, besides exhibitions across India, Limbu added.
Limbu maintained that a defining feature of the company’s development has been its effort to move beyond the sale of raw agricultural produce.
“Processing, packaging, branding and distribution have become important components of our business approach. Value addition can help agricultural enterprises differentiate their products, improve market access and develop locally based agro-processing activities,” he said.
The chairman expressed gratitude to the state government for the recognition, describing it as validation for the efforts of the farmers and their hard work for over a decade now.
“The recognition will encourage us to further strengthen the farmer network, expand our product portfolio, improve processing and marketing capabilities, and explore new market opportunities,” Limbu added. PTI SSG SSG RG
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