Sarada Valley Development Samithi is a community based organization working for the last 3 decades in
Visakhapatnam district by undertaking various Government developmental activities. Our SVDS started its rural
development work from October 2nd 1985 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi. SVDS promoted and sustained various
CBOs such as WUAs, FPOs (Farmers Producers Organizations), Farmers clubs, Masons Union, Rickshaw Pullers Union,
VSS, MACTS, SVDS Swagathi Sneha Sangham for FSW and Nandhi Service Society for MSM
Vision & Mission
Vision: An empowered equitable society established; which is controlled by vulnerable community and the
farming community in SVDS operational area.
Mission: Development of a social system in the adopted villages of the Sarada river basin that is
controlled by farming, tribal and other weaker communities of the society, which on one hand, fights against the
local exploitation and on the other alleviates poverty via organizing the poor, building their confidence,
bringing out their leadership qualities and creating awareness in own capacities, the power of unity, and
resultant social, financial, political and community empowerment.
OUR WORK
Susag Millets
Susag Millets Producer Company Limited is the women steered, high income generating FPO, familiarly known as
‘Millet Sisters’. The SUSAG Millets FPC has been formed in 2015 by Millet sisters with the assistance of
NABARD.. This was backed by Sarada Valley Development Samithi. The core vision of SVDS is Multifaced Women
empowerment and lively hood enhancement for providing food ,health, and nutrition security. The basement of the
FPO has been designed in such a way that the capacity building, awareness, natural organic agricultural
practices, processing activities are common from CEO level to the member level. Knowledge sharing, field level
exposures, onsite meetings at mass levels etc have enabled each member of the FPO to realize their ownership,
roles & responsibilities. The administration of the FPO has been decentralized up to member level enabled the
FPO to procure the entire produce at each member level up to last grain over and the above their family
self-consumption. A well coordination among Procurement, Processing and Marketing committee, Financial
Mobilization committee and Social Audit committees has developed to realize the marketing potential, procurement
target for FPO and thereby developing business strategies for purchase/sale of produce in a balanced manner the
turnover started to increase instantaneously irrespective of marketing trend. The SVDS has succeeded in building
up of strong team work, layering of various capacity building works, timely pumping of convergence schemes with
relevant departments, transparent administration etc.
Susag Millets FPC has been working in Pedabayalu Mandal of the Paderu Division of the Visakhapatnam . The work
has been the ‘Revival of Millets’ and strengthening the ‘Traditional Mixed Cropping System’ through natural
farming, increasing local consumption and profitably marketing the surplus. Susag Millets FPC has been
associated with Rythu Sadhikara Samastha since 2018 to work under APCNF program on promotion of natural farming
practices and technical assistance.
The FPO has been tagged with number of interventions for skill development, upscaling, marketing and generating
income over the years since formation in 2015. The intervention of ITDA, Wasan the Memorandum of understand with
ATMA, RYSS has helped the FPO for getting the benefits of technology transfer, development & utilization of
local spring waters, training programs, technical expertise etc, developed the produce yield size, marketing
size, membership size of the FPO.
In 2018, Susag Millets FPC availed working capital of Rs 27.00 lakhs from NABKISAN Finance Limited which was
repaid on time. Again, in 2019, NABKISAN Finance Limited granted Rs 69.00 lakhs for working capital cum term
loan. On the performance of our Susag Millets FPC seeking, NABKISAN sanctioned Rs 6.00 lakhs grant and SFAC
provided equity grant of Rs 4.80 lakhs.
The business size of the FPO has increased in such a way that the FPO has created dedicated staff with special
duties for taking care of book keeping (MIS), Marketing wing, Stock management, Food processing team etc.
Now the millet sisters are producing millets and pulses to the tune of around 30 tons to 40 tons, with a
business turnover of Rs. around 45 lakh per annum. The minimum net annual income for the FPO is around Rs. 3
lakh to Rs.4 lakh.
The Susag FPO has been visited by many organizations, research scholars, Department heads, administrations,
students, financial institutions. Today Susag Millet sisters FPO has been turned into a knowledge hub for
creating eco-friendly livelihood, team work, concentrated convergent schemes, corporate business structure
reflecting the necessary qualities of an ideal business hub cum comfortable happy life for the FPO members.
The way forward:
APPI (Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiative) has studied the Eco-friendly livelihood practices, corporate
business strategies, replicable convergence models and planning to develop a model called ‘Eco Pedabayalu’ under
their CSR activity for promotion of organic farming which could be another milestone in the success history of
Susag millet sisters FPO. Our Millet sisters are very particular to strengthen the Immunity Centric Supply Chain
in future to serve the healthy and nutritious food .
SVDS Target Community
Millet Sisters
Women and children community
Farmer community
Unorganized labour
Sex workers- FSW & MSM
Youth
Objectives
To enhance sustainable livelihoods of the project stakeholders.
To establish ‘Immunity Centric Supply Chain’ in the market.
To encourage millets and mixed crop cultivation to get food, fodder, nutrition and health security
To develop wasteland as productive farms through participation of vulnerable groups thus improving their
living standards
To conserve the ecology through sustainable intensive agriculture and use of non-conventional energy
resources and to conserve natural resources by adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
To develop leadership qualities among the local youth.
To develop leadership qualities among the local youth.
To develop organizational power among the tribal, dalit and women and farmers by bringing them together,
inculcating thrift habit and facilitating their participation in various government programmes and
organizing them to get their rights.
To Eliminate gender bias in building modern society by creating social, economic and political awareness
among women
To promote healthy and hygiene habits among the target groups
To improve local environment, medical, educational and sanitation facilities.
To facilitate the community to manage the drinking water resources in sustainable way
To promote hygiene behaviors among the community and school children
To strive for elimination of child labour.
To provide advisory, welfare and do other services to facilitate social, economic and political empowerment
of women and weaker, tribal and farming sections of the society.
To create awareness among people for protecting the Sarada river basin area from pollution
Major tasks undertaken by SVDS
Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations
Andhra Pradesh Community Based Tank Management
Community Organization
Sustainable Agriculture
Campaign Against Genetically Modified Food
Livelihood Enhancement
Environment Education
Food Sovereignty
Dalit And Tribal Empowerment
Wasteland Development
Water, Sanitation And Hygiene
Self-Governance
Thrift And Credit
Disaster Management
Human Resource Development
Child Labour Rehabilitation
STI/HIV Management
Urban Slum Poverty Alleviation
Strategy
To develop organizational power among the farming community of Tribal, Dalit and women by bringing them together
as CBOs, and facilitating their participation in various government programmes and organizing them to get their
rights and enhance their livelihood and conserve their nature.
