The Palai Social  Welfare Society
Serve. Sustain. Stable

As part of the Farmers ‘Empowerment Program, a Farmers’ Bank was launched by the Diocese of Pala, as a result of the interest taken by Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangat. A variety of farmer advancement activities are being carried out throughout our Diocese. As a part of this, the Pala Social Welfare Society, with the help of the central and state governments, started various farmer empowerment programs. It is in this context that three Farmers' Producer companies were set up with the approval/ assistance of the Central and State Governments. Pala Diocese was able to acquire a farmer-producer organization named Pala Santhome Farmers Producer Company. Under the auspices of the Central Government, the Pala Social Welfare Society also acquired a new Farmer Producer Organization for the agriculture allied sector named Pala Haritam Farmers Producer Company from NABARD.  Pala Social Welfare Society, the social work organization of Pala Diocese, works as a Producer Organization Promoting Institution (POP) and Cluster Based Business Organization (CBBO) as an executive support agency for agricultural producers. Farmers’ production companies are part of the farmer-centered schemes launched by the central and state governments aimed at improving the agricultural sector and encouraging farmers. 

Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium started in the Kottayam district as part of the Kerala Government’s Agriculture Empowerment Scheme permitted to start a farmer producer company by the Pala Social Welfare Society. On 4th August 2021, Pala Santhom Farmers Producer Company was registered under the Companies Act, 2013. SFAC has commissioned an Agri-Business Promoting Agency, ICCOA, to provide technical support to the company’s operations. Then the stock raising started. The company’s share raising campaign was inaugurated on the 2nd of April 2022 by Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangat of Pala Diocese.

The Palai Social Welfare Society in continuation of Farmers Strengthening Program (KARSHAKA BANK) started promoting Farmers Collectives in different parts of the Diocese. Then NABARD supported us form another FPO in the Agri Allied Sector namely PALA HARITHAM FPO. The FPO is registered under the Companies Act 2013 on 21 July 2022. The share launching program held on 29th November 2022 was inaugurated by Msgr. Sebastian Vethanathu, Vicar General of Palai Diocese. At Present, the company has 210 shareholders and it is concentrating on the Mobilization of Agri-Allied Sector Farmers such as Dairy, Poultry, Piggery, Fisheries, Apiculture etc. The Board decided to concentrate on the Beekeeping Sector primarily and requested NABARD to support with a MEDP (Micro Entrepreneurship Development Program). Training to Progressive Bee Farmers. 
 

3 acres of land at Pala Mundupalam Steel India Campus has been obtained through a lease agreement from Pala Diocese for operations of Santhom Farmers Producer Company. As a first initiative, Agrima Central Nursery was started with the funding of the State Horticulture Mission (SHM). Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangat inaugurated the Agrima Central Nursery on 26 May 2023. Shri Mani C Kappen MLA inaugurated the first sale. Activities such as providing local and foreign fruit tree seedlings to the farmers at affordable rates, mother fruit orchards, and seedling production are being carried out at Agrima Central Nursery. Plant pots and other agricultural-related services are available at Agrima Nursery.

Pala Haritam Farmers Producer Company has come into existence with emphasis on various allied sectors like agriculture, beekeeping, fish farming, cattle rearing, poultry farming, etc. The first initiative of Pala Haritam Farmers Producer Company aims to promote beekeeping by organizing beekeeping, collecting it from farmers, preserving the collected honey scientifically, processing it with the help of advanced technology and converting it into value-added products and marketing it in the local and foreign markets for the first time. 

An Exposure Visit and Training on value-added products from honey for Board Members and Shareholders were held at Honey Nagar, Thoppipala Kattapana, Idukki. As part of the training,honey processing and value addition unit of Shri. T.K Raju, State Award Winner and a Honey Farmer was visited.

FOUNDATION STONE 

The foundation stone was laid down by H.E Mar Joseph Kallarangath, Bishop of Pala for the agriculture-based value-addition enterprise owned by Pala Santhom Farmers Producers Company. The Company is an FPO of PSWS and is supported by the Small Farmer Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC). It will function on the premises of Steel India Campus, Mundupalam.

Kanjiramattom Agro Producer Company Ltd. Started as a farmers club in 2017. First, we brought a drier of 400 kg. Capacity for drying jackfruit, tapioca, and coconut. In the first financial year, we had a profit of Rs 2 lakhs. Kanjiramattom Agro Producer Company Ltd. was incorporated and started production of pure coconut oil, roasted Rice Puttupodi roasted Wheat Puttupodi, Chilly powder, Kashmiri chilly Powder, Turmeric Powder, coriander powder, avalospodi and different masalas. We also promoted and encouraged the processing and marketing of arrowroot powder, panampodi, and cycus plant seed powder. All these were accepted well in the market. For marketing, the district panchayath allotted an eco-shop to our company. NABARD-sanctioned Rural Mart and it is located in Pallickathodu and is doing very well. We are also distributing our products in other 23 outlets and supermarkets.

Moozhoor Karshika Vila Samskarana Vipanana Kendram is the farmers association under Farmer’s Bank of Pala Diocese has 137 members, and a share capital worth ₹ 4,57,000. The value added enterprise of agricultural crops started its operations from 10th September 2017. Mainly processing coconut oil from coconut dried in the dryer and churned into kopra, washing and dried then grinding of chilly, coriander, wheat and rice. And tamarind, kudam puli, dried turmeric, honey, ghee, arrowroot get from the farmers and marketed as food products. These karashika products were exported to the Kottayam Kitchen of PJS Group Bahrain in the Gulf country of Qatar and to the Malayali distributors in Fernvile U. K.Each shareholder gets one share of ₹ 827 including cash and a grocery kit of ₹727. Approximately ₹ 19,84,000 were paid to the workers. Till now we haven’t got any financial help from the government or any other authorized agencies. The company was set up in a building of St. Marys Church Moozhoor.

Karshakamithra SHG in Velliamattom Parish is affiliated to PSWS and is functioning properly for the last ten years. It has a membership of 15. It is registered at Elamdesom Block Panchayat and also under the Charitable Society Registration act. The per capita thrift savings of the group is Rs 35000. At present loans upto 70,000 is given to the needy members at a very nominal interest rate of 4%. Repayment rate is 100%. Every month the unit committee meeting is held in members’ houses on a rotation basis. The SHG diversified its activities by entering into the cultivation of tapioca, paddy, vegetables, etc. The group members are registered workers under the Employment Guarantee Programme. Under the scheme, we dug a large pond for fish farming. Also, we constructed a Rain Shelter for vegetable cultivation with a subsidy from the agriculture department and a loan from a bank. The Velliamattom grama panchayat provided us with a dryer unit costing 3.5 lakhs at a subsidy of 80%. At a time 1000 kg of tapioca can be dried in this dryer. Other products dried in the dryer are jackfruit, coconut, meat, curcumin vegetables etc. Dried tapioca and jackfruit are sold in local markets as well as exported to foreign countries.

Agriculture is the most important sector of Indian economy as it amounts to 18% of India’s Gross Domestic product and provides employment to 50% workforce. In this sector, agro-processing Plays an important role by providing farmers with available options to safely keep their products. The processing unit helps in establishing a strong relationship between farmers and wholesalers. They will get the maximum price for their products. This model forms industry linkage motivates formers for better productivity and further opens up possibilities for industrial development. Vayala Karshakadala Federation was started by the Self Help Group which has been in action in our present for the past 5 years. The idea of starting a company for producing value-added products from former produce gave way to the establishment of the Federation.

Manvettom Farmers Producing Company Ltd was formed on 31st March 2022 as per the Company’s Act with the support of NABARD under the central sector scheme of 10000 FPOS. This company was earlier promoted by Manvettom Farmers Club which was in operation on 15 Aug 2021. We are also guided and supported by the Pala Social Welfare Society and Peerumade Development Society. The FPO has 305 shareholders at present. The company was earlier known as Manvettom Food Products operated by the Manvettom Farmers Club. The building was built by St. George Church Manvettom on their land and was rented to Manvettom for food products. Manvettom Farmers Producer Company Ltd aims to increase the wealth of small and marginal farmers by providing a market for their products with a floor price. Local agricultural products like bananas, coconut, turmeric jackfruit, etc. are purchased from local farmers. The main objective of Manvettom Farmers Producer Company Ltd is to increase farmers' income through farmer's associations and provide good quality natural products without adulteration. For this purpose, the company is purchasing raw materials from local farmers and nearby markets with optimum quality and processing those raw materials into value-added products. The processed finished products are sold through our Outlet.  We purchase raw products such as coconut, banana, jackfruit, turmeric, etc., and other items from local farmers and process those into finished products. After processing finished products we sell these finished products through our sale outlet. That is also a help for the local farmers. They get a market for their organic products.