- Why in news
- On 6 February 2026, the Agriculture Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that 10,000 FPOs have been formed under the Central Sector FPO Scheme, with 21.96 lakh women farmers among its members (as on 1 January 2026).
- What it is
- The Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It helps small and marginal farmers pool together into producer organisations to gain scale, market access and better bargaining power.
- Target reached
- 10,000 FPOs have been formed and registered under the scheme.
- Women-only FPOs
- 1,175 of the FPOs are registered with 100% women members.
- Membership
- As of 1 January 2026, 56.32 lakh farmers are registered, of whom 21.96 lakh are women.
- Scheme type
- It is a Central Sector Scheme, so the Centre funds it fully and it is run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Don’t confuse with Central Sector vs Centrally Sponsored Scheme: A Central Sector Scheme is wholly funded and run by the Centre. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme is shared with states under a funding pattern.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Collective farming helps small and marginal farmers gain scale and bargaining power.
- The women's membership share (about 39% of members) supports women's participation in agriculture.
Problems
- Many FPOs remain financially weak and depend on continued support for working capital and credit.
- Gaps in management skills and market linkages limit their long-term viability.
Way forward
- Strengthen credit access, professional management and market linkages for FPOs.
- Promote more women-led FPOs and track the performance of FPOs, not just their numbers.
- 2019Mains GS2 · Q3What methods do farmers' organisations use to influence policy-makers, and how effective are they?
- 2023Prelims Q26Which best describes 'Small Farmer Large Field' concept of collective farming by marginal farmers?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Scheme target of 10,000 FPOs reached, 1,175 all-women FPOs; possible scheme question but update is progress data.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.