- Puintala Pragati Farmers Producer Company grew from two seed growers in 2022 to a farmer-led seed enterprise with more than INR ₹60 lakh (~65,000USD) in sales by 2025 through consistent technical support.
- A new 1-tonne-per-hour processing unit allows the FPC to process, clean, grade and market seed locally, reducing dependence on distant facilities.
- The FPC has processed around 200 tonnes of seed and is expanding into climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive, and specialty rice varieties for farmers in Odisha.
by Swati Nayak, Mosharaf Hossain, Dillip Kumar Rout, Devi Prasad Mahapatra, and Myrtel Anne Valenzuela
Access to quality seed is critical to improving rice production in Odisha, where much of the crop is grown under rainfed conditions, and farmers face recurring drought and other climate stresses. The state reported a rice seed replacement rate of 31.23% in 2023–24, while agriculture policies continue to promote faster varietal replacement and wider access to improved, healthier and climate-resilient seeds. However, there is still a gap in demand and supply of quality seeds, especially newer and improved varieties.
In Balangir district, Puintala Pragati Farmers Producer Company (FPC) is addressing part of this challenge by building a farmer-led seed enterprise. What began with 30 kg of foundation seed and two farmers has grown into an organization with its own processing facility, 48 active seed growers and shareholders, around 200 tonnes of seed processed, and more than ₹60 lakh (~65,000USD) in seed sales.
2022: Starting with 30 kg of seed
The partnership began in 2022, when the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) supported Puintala Pragati FPC’s interest in quality seed production. At the time, the FPC had 780 members, including 457 women.
IRRI provided 30 kg of foundation seed of Swarna Shreya, a drought-tolerant rice, DSR suitable variety (developed by ICAR-RCER, Patna in partnership with IRRI), and organized season-long training on quality seed production and marketing. Only two farmers participated in the initial program, but the experience encouraged the FPC to pursue seed production further.
2023: Building the skills to produce quality seed
The following year, IRRI expanded its support through a season-long capacity-building program under its Specialty Rice program. Retired scientists from the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) and Balangir agricultural extension centers (Krishi Vigyan Kendra, or KVK), seed certification officials, agricultural experts, and officials from the district and block agriculture departments participated in the program.
Farmers received hands-on training in nursery management, transplanting, crop establishment, rouging, field inspection, nutrient and pest management, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and seed storage. They also learned about packaging, branding, and marketing for the grain marketing
IRRI also facilitated linkages between the FPC and the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), helping the organization develop opportunities for seed marketing and business development.
2024–25: Seed production becomes a business
The training began translating into commercial results in 2024, when Puintala Pragati FPC processed and marketed certified seed of CR Dhan-315, (a zinc rich variety developed and released by CRRI, Cuttack) a healthier rice variety, generating approximately ₹2.30 lakh (2,400 USD) in revenue.
The organization also emerged as the only private seed entrepreneur in the region, producing and marketing certified seed of CR Dhan-315 (zinc rich) and Swarna Shreya (DSR-fit)
By 2025, seed sales had exceeded ₹60 lakh (~62,740 USD) through supplies to government agencies, institutions, and member farmers.
However, the increase in sales also exposed a constraint, as the FPC had to transport seed to distant processing facilities, adding costs for transportation, processing, loading and unloading, storage, and handling. These costs reduced profit margins and made timely delivery to buyers more difficult.
Investing in a seed processing investment
To identify ways to strengthen the business, IRRI conducted a value-chain analysis of the FPC’s seed enterprise. The analysis found that a local processing facility could reduce transportation and handling costs, improve efficiency, and give the enterprise greater control over its operations.
This led to the next phase of support, combining technical assistance with investment in local infrastructure. IRRI continued to provide technical support, breeder and foundation seed, field monitoring, and capacity building, while Mahashakti Foundation and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) provided financial support to establish a seed processing unit with a capacity of 1-tonne per hour.
The new facility allows Puintala to process, clean, grade, and prepare seed close to where it is produced. This reduces the need to transport seed to distant facilities while giving the FPC greater control over processing, quality, and timely delivery.
200 tonnes processed and a growing portfolio
With the seed processing unit in place, Puintala has been able to expand its seed production and marketing. The enterprise now involves 48 active shareholders and seed growers, including 16 women farmers.
The FPC has processed and marketed around 200 tonnes of seed and added several healthier rice varieties to its portfolio, including DRR-81, BRRI Dhan-69, Telangana Sona, and Swarna Shakti.
Building on this capacity, Puintala is producing or planning to produce a wider portfolio of climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive, and specialty rice varieties. These include CR Dhan-808, developed by CRURRS, Hazaribag using IRRI lines; CG Devbhog; Zinco Rice MS, jointly developed by IGKV, Raipur, and IRRI; Telangana Sona; BRRI Dhan-69, a low-input-responsive variety released in India through the Seeds Without Border agreement; PR-126, a low-input-responsive variety developed jointly by PAU and IRRI; Swarna Shakti, a drought-tolerant, DSR-suitable variety developed jointly by ICAR-RCER and IRRI; Bina Dhan-17, a low-input-responsive variety released in India through the Seeds Without Border agreement; DRR Dhan-48, a low-GI, high-zinc variety developed by IIRR, Hyderabad; and Kalachampa.
To support this expansion, IRRI has continued to provide breeder seeds of CR Dhan-315, Swarna Samriddhi, DRR Dhan-48, Zinco Rice MS, and BRRI Dhan-69. Furthermore, IRRI has also supported seed certification, value addition, and marketing, including linkages to services for seed cleaning, grading, and packaging.
Building a farmer-led seed supply
Puintala’s growth comes as Odisha seeks to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds and improved varieties. Developing climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive varieties is only part of this effort. Farmers also need reliable systems to multiply, process, and market quality seeds. Unlike many other farmers’ collectives, Puintala FPC is promoting newer, healthier and improved rice varieties in business mode.
Puintala is building these capabilities within a farmer organization. The FPC now produces, processes, and markets seed, giving its members greater control over the seed value chain while creating a viable business.
This transition has been supported by collaboration among IRRI, NABARD, Mahashakti Foundation, KVK Balangir, and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE), Government of Odisha. The partners have brought together technical expertise, seed resources, infrastructure, and market connections to help Puintala build a functioning seed enterprise.
Puintala started with 30 kg of foundation seed and two farmers. Today, it has its own processing facility, 48 active seed growers and shareholders, around 200 tonnes of seed processed, and more than ₹60 lakh in sales.
References
Odisha Agricultural Statistics Report 2023-24, Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Govt. of Odisha
Report on Seed Distribution System, Planning & Convergence Department (P&C), Govt. of Odisha
IRRI duly acknowledges the support of Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment (DAFE), Government of Odisha through the project “Promotion, Scaling and Market Positioning of Speciality Rice in Odisha” to implement this initiative.
