GoP-RSPN Crop Maximisation Project – II

The Special Programme for Food Security and Productivity Enhancement of Small Farmers (Crop Maximisation Project-II or CMP-II) is a five-year, Rs 8 billion project of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (now the Ministry of Food and Agriculture). CMP-II aims at fostering Farmers Associations that federate to form Village Organisations (VOs), which are registered as cooperative societies, in the project’s 1,012 target villages in 26 districts. In June 2007, RSPN won a bid to implement the CMP-II’s Social Mobilisation Component. RSPN has partnered with six RSPs (AKRSP, BRSP, NRSP, PRSP and SRSP) to undertake social mobilisation, the formation and capacity building of the FAs and VOs, monitoring of their activities and status checks of the revolving fund that they receive from CMP-II for lending to their members. The FAs and VOs receive technical guidance, training and support in input and product sale and marketing from the Agriculture Line Departments and private service providers engaged by the CMP-II. In 2008, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) showed an interest in partnering with MINFA to provide revolving funds to VOs as well as to include more activities for the poor and women in CMP-II communities. This project is expected to be finalised and approved in the latter half of 2009. The total value of this project will be US 18 million.