The Background The Agriterra-FFA/AP cooperation has been there for some time. A strategic plan for FFA has been prepared which was agreed by Agriterra and funding has been made based on that. After an advice mission, Agriterra has shared with FFA the findings of the mission. Taking those recommendations which are also a part of the strategic plan, this proposal has been prepared for the period Jan 2011 to December 2011. This proposal comes from the result of the activities that FFA has taken not only with the help of Agriterra until 2009 but also running up the same activities in almost the same scale with reduced focus during the year 2010 where Agriterra funding was not there. The proposal effectively has shelved some of the issues which were earlier taken up. However, taking the priority areas as proposed by Agriterra; which includes the Commodity groups; Value Chain / market related aspects and the Women empowerment programmes; a proposal is hereby being submitted to Agriterra for approval. The present request proposal comprises only these aspects and the budget is hereby made according to that priority areas. Project Outline: Objective 1: Farmer Outreach: through CIGs: To further organize farmers into Commodity Interest Groups (CIGs)for enhanced income and accessing market Objective 2: Business Linkages: To strengthen and expand marketing linkages including contract farming to strengthen existing and further develop efficient and profitable marketing models using a variety of distribution channels. Objective 3: Financial Assistance: Providing access to financial and technical resources to the women who are already into social mobilization fold in order to expand their asset base through livelihood opportunities Objective 4: Women Empowerment: To further empowering rural women through developing and strengthening self-managed grassroots organizations from the village to the State level and resulting in the formation of Women Wing. WOMEN WING PROJECT The salient features of this project include: - A geographical coverage of 3 districts. - To initiate and strengthen self managed Women’s wing both at the state level and at the field level with the strengthening of the groups formed and higher federations established at village, mandal and district levels - To take up livelihood initiatives both with the project funding and accessing external support from banks etc for the self help women groups. - To capacitate women of the women groups on social issues and livelihood areas. Broad Impact indicators: The main project impact/outcome indicators include: - Empowerment of rural poor enhanced largely through groups; functioning well in relation to their social, economic, and political objectives - Household income of the women increased; sources of income diversified The main Outcome: The strengthening/formation of self-managed Women’s wing based on affinity with Farmers federations and networks are important expected outcomes of the project

FFA-AP is the Federation of farmers' organizations in Andhra Pradesh India. It represents 1800 farmers' associations on the local level spread over 14 (of the 22 districts). Membership is about 69.000 farmers. FFA-AP started women specific activities in 2007. These were consolidated in 2008 and 2009 through the formation of a women’s wing (as a part of the FFA-AP) and by strengthening existing self help groups (SHGs) and establishing 55 women learning centers at village level in 3 districts of the State of Andhra Pradesh. The present project submitted to Agriterra can be seen as the second push which must continue, extend and intensify the earlier initiatives. Its central components are: -strengthen the existing and build women self-managed institutions -capacity building of women groups and creation of social forums -set up and extend livelihood strategies at local and regional levels -complete formation of women’s wing (especially at federal level)

FFA-AP is the Federation of farmers' organisations in Andhra Pradesh India. It represents 1800 farmers' associations on the local level spread over 14 (of the 22 districts). Membership is about 69.000 farmers. FFA-AP started women specific activities in 2007, by strengthening existing self help Groups and establishing 55 women learning centres at village level. The present project submitted to Agriterra comes down to: - income generating activities for women in 3 districts with an outreach of 1800 women per year - establishment of a women's wing within FFA-AP

FFA-AP is the Federation of farmers' organisations in Andhra Pradesh India. It represents 1850 farmers' associations on the local level spread over 14 (of the 22 districts). Current membership is about 69.000 farmers. The present project submitted to Agriterra comes down to: 1. productivity enhancement including training activities related to agricultural products like paddy and pulses, horticulture, animal husbandry, sugar cane, mango, fisheries, vegetable farming (agricultural production). 2. Networking of producer organisations, commodity groups and cooperative concept (institutional strengthening) 3. Gender in farming; activities especially focused on the inclusion of women farmers (note: FFA-AP has submitted a separate project poposal for funding the establishment of a womens wing (08ff-8234) 4. Partnerships and market linkages (market and chain development) 5. Lobbying for favorable policies (institutional development at state/national level)

Federation of Farmers’ Associations (FFA) is a unified, independent grassroots apolitical farmers organization with innovative programs and dynamic action plans in place to contribute to rural development. FFA has been envisioned on the premise of making agriculture into a profitable occupation, resurrecting the farmer, and restoring his dignity and social equity. The federation of Farmers Associations Andhra Pradesh (a client PO of Agriterra since 2003) has agreed with Agriterra that it would be better to have a strategic planning for the next 3 years in stead of submitting annual project proposals, without having strategic orientations agreed upon by both parties. In order to do so, Agriterra proposed a bridging financing period of 7 months, in order to support FFA-AP in continuing its field activities as well as lobby and advocacy as done in 2007, but at the same time prepare a strategic plan in consultation with the grass root level and consult the members about the positioning of women within FFA-AP. This present proposal recived from FFA-AP includes financial support to sustain the overhead costs of FFA AP as well as financial support for the running projects like strengthening the mango value chain; lobby and advocacy (including participatory policy planning); agri marketing, horticulture and organic farming; income generating activities for youth. FFA-AP is proposing to include a new project component in this proposed bridging period, being a vegetables value chain programme. This last component will focus much on establishing market linkages for vegetables farmers in three districts close to big towns.

The specific objectives are: -Institutional strengthening and structuring of Farm fed AP as an independent farmers organization - Securing an appropriate policy frame work - Enhancement of productivity and competitiveness of agricultural sector - To enhance the economic conditions of mango farmers of Chittoor district by promoting best practices of mango production and moving them forward in the value chain of mango through establishing appropriate peoples’ institutions - Increasing their share in consumers money, particularly from the provision of market linkages export of mango fruit and development of domestic market The expected results are: - The creation of a platform enables the farmers to bring their problems to the core and fight for favourable policies from the government - Awareness on seed , foundation , breeding etc will help farmers to know about the right kind of seed needed. - Farmers obtain on time and in time information regarding the Rabi and Khariff crops - Farmers rally around a commodity and enable to have specific fight commodity wise - Mobilizing 10,000 farmers of the remaining 18000 farmers in the project area from 10 clusters which would be federated into MACS societies. - Training on best practices of mango production. - Better access to inputs through linkages to private and public organizations. Expected Results - Reducing/eliminating the constraints in accessing the credit for mango production - Collective marketing mango and mango products - Efforts for the establishing of a mango processing unit owned by MACSs would be speeded up. - Improving the yield of mango through promotion of best practices

The special objectives are: - To create women-owned, multi-skilled and self-reliant Women’s Learning Centres - To create a social forum for women The following benefits are expected at the end of the project: - 3.750 trained women in tailoring and embroidery, Zardozi, Bead work, Crochet and Jute bag making - Additional income to the tune of Rs. 1,28,00,000 per month for 5000 households - Forum for social issues among women created

Federation of Farmers Associations in Andhra Pradesh has collaborated with Agriterra from 2000 onwards. During the first phase of collaboration the Federation has implemented a pilot project in 4 districts of Andhra Pradesh. In this phase the focus was on organisational development, lobbying and advocacy, ICT, and various extension efforts. Moreover, FFAAP promoted linkages between existing agro-industries and farmers. In the project proposal for the second phase, FFAAP proposes to replicate its approach to 10 additional districts of Andhra Pradesh. In the project proposal 11 main objectives are distinguished.

The core objective of the project is to enhance the economic conditions of Mango growers in the Chtittoor District of Andhra Pradesh by promoting best practices in Mango production and moving the organised farmers upward in the Mango value chain. Expansion of domestic markets and exploring possibilities in export markets is the target. The organisation of Mango farmers into cooperative grower groups is an essential part of the project. Only organised farmers will be able to collectively improve (qualitative and quantitative) production and improve their positioning and bargaining power in the Mango value chain. The project does include initial studies, including assessments of present state-of-art of mango production and markets studies mapping potentials for improvement and growth. The project will be a multi-stakeholder effort with active involvement of research insitutes and Governmental extension servises as well as the private sector (investors in processing units). The first year (pilot) phase will after succesfull completion be followed by a 2 years upscaling phase.

The Federation of Farmers Associations Andhra Pradesh (FFAAP) aims at the empowerment of farmers by enhancing their organisational level, capacity development and establishment of effective links with relevant stakeholders like agri-business, research institutes and Governments. Presently more than 300 farmers groups are affiliated with FFAAP. FFAAP has developed close links with agri-business partners and functions as broker in connecting agri-business and primary producers while safeguarding the interests of the latter. The present project proposal aims at further strengthening and institutionalising the relation with agri-business, developing effeicient lobby and advocacy instruments at State and National level (establishing an out-post in New Dehli in collaboration with the Indian Industry Alliance-IIA), increasing the number of coordinators and intensifying and specifying their service delivery towards members and increasing the quality and diversisity of seervices rendered towards affiliated farmers and women groups. One of the services to be developed includes the set-up of a marketing information system to disseminate up-to-date pricing and market information to rural level. A partnership between a Dutch women / youth group and the women / youth groups within FFAAP is foreseen as integrated part of the programme.

Organisational strengthening of Farmfed as membership organisation and enhancing capacity of Farmfed to deliver services to members. Services include agricultural extension and setting up trials for innovative crop systems, connecting primary producers to the market and enhancing their capacities for market-oriented production. Special attention is given to the assessment of possibilities for organic production and marketing of organic produced commodities.

FarmFed AP has organized in 2001 a workshop in order to establish an organizational framework and to identify priorities for an action plan of FarmFed AP. In the first phase priority will be given to the consolidation of FarmFed AP through linkages with (existing) Farmers Associations. The present project proposal is intended to realise a pilot project in 4 districts in Andhra Pradesh in order to test the newly conceived consolidation approach. In this approach a number of strategic action items may be distinguished: Strenghening of institutional capacity of FarmFed AP; Consolidation and extension of membership basis; Conception of service package for members