Farmers’ Collectivization for Up-scaling Production and Marketing Systems (FOCUS)
Grants paid to farmer producer groups rather than individuals — about ₹120 crore has reached over 22,000 groups and 2.1 lakh rural households.
Run by: Meghalaya Basin Management Agency, Government of Meghalaya
- Disbursed so far
- ~₹120 crore
- Producer groups
- Over 22,000
- Households reached
- About 2.1 lakh
- Run by
- Meghalaya Basin Mgmt Agency
Overview
A hill farmer with a small plot has almost no bargaining power alone: too little volume to interest a buyer, and no way to fund storage or transport. FOCUS is built around fixing that by organising farmers into producer groups and putting the money into the group, so a village can aggregate produce, add value and negotiate as one seller.
It is Meghalaya’s current flagship for farm livelihoods, run by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency, and it succeeds the older IBDLP umbrella. The scale is real rather than notional: close to ₹120 crore has been disbursed to more than 22,000 producer groups across the Garo Hills and the Khasi–Jaintia Hills, reaching around 2.1 lakh rural households, with a further ₹100 crore allocated in 2024.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Financial grants paid directly to farmer producer groups for production and marketing.
- Collective bargaining power — a group can aggregate enough volume to interest a real buyer.
- Support for value addition and marketing systems, not only for growing the crop.
- Reaches smallholders through the group, so a tiny individual plot is not a barrier to entry.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Farming household in Meghalaya
- Member of a registered farmer producer group under the scheme
- Group engaged in an eligible production or marketing activity
- Bank account for the group to receive the grant
Not covered
- Individual applicants outside a producer group — the grant is paid to the group
- Activities outside the scheme’s production and marketing scope
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Aadhaar card
- Producer group membership and registration
- Land record or evidence of cultivation
- Group bank account details
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Join or form a producer group
FOCUS funds groups, not individuals. Joining the village producer group is the way in for a smallholder.
- 2
Plan the activity with MBMA support
The group works out its production and marketing plan with the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency and its field structures.
- 3
Receive and use the grant
The grant is disbursed to the group’s account for the approved production and marketing activity.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply on my own?
No. FOCUS pays grants to farmer producer groups rather than to individuals — joining or forming a group is the route in.
Is this the same as IBDLP?
FOCUS is the current scheme farmers actually access, run by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency. IBDLP was the older umbrella programme it succeeds.
How much has actually been paid out?
Close to ₹120 crore to more than 22,000 producer groups, reaching around 2.1 lakh rural households across the Garo and Khasi–Jaintia Hills.
Facts checked against megbma.gov.in on 24 July 2026. editorial policy.