The initiative aimed to enable women farmers and FPOs working in Western Rajasthan to study and gain practical knowledge about quality production, processing and agri food products exports, bridge them to global agricultural markets.
NABARD supported Agricultural Export Promotion Centre (AEFC) successfully organised the Agri Export Workshop and Exchange Program with the main objective of “Empowering Women Farmers and FPOs of Rajasthan for Global Agricultural Trade” at Nashik, Maharashtra from 6–9 April 2025. The four-day study tour was attended by 20 women FPO representatives, agripreneurs and organic women farmers from western Rajasthan, especially from Jodhpur, Nagaur, Barmer, Balotra, Phalodi and Pali districts.
The initiative aimed to enable women farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) working in Western Rajasthan to study and gain practical knowledge about quality production, processing and agri food products exports, bridge them to global agricultural markets and promote their participation in the field of international trade in agriculture commodity and food products.
The four days intensive program was organised jointly by NABARD Agriculture Export Facilitation Centre (AEFC), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Sahyadri Farmers Producer Company Limited, Nashik and South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), Jodhpur. A delegation of women FPOs met and interacted with the representatives of the country’s apex institutions based in Nashik and visited these institutions including Sahyadri FPO; Sahyadri Tata Strive Skill Development Centre; Sam Agri Pvt Ltd; National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF); Krishi Utpadan Sanrakshan Kendra (KRUSHAK) established by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC); Om Gayatri Nursery; Om Gayatri Agri Mall and Seven Star Fruits Private Limited. During this, the women farmers of Rajasthan got a chance to meet Shri Lalit Dada Bahale, the president of Sethkari Sanghatan along with Shri Vilas Tathod of Maharashtra.
An interactive technical session was graced by the presence of the chief guest Vilas Shinde, Managing Director of Sahyadri FPO, Sh Prashant Waghmare, General Manager of APEDA, Dr. Bhagirath Chaudhary of South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), Ms. Sapna Bohra, Ms. Shreya Mishra and KS Bhardwaj of NABARD AEFC and Pritish Kare of Sahyadri FPO. On this occasion, Vilas Shinde revealed the success story of Sahyadri FPO whereas APEDA’s Sh Waghmare shared detailed information on the process and opportunities of export of agricultural and food products and the role of NABARD AEFC in agricultural export through “one stop shop” facility. A documentary based on the hard work and success of Sahyadri Farms was also screened.
