The Companies Act defines Producer as any person engaged in any activity connected with or relatable to any primary produce (Produce: “things that have been produced or grown, especially by farming”). A Producer Company is thus a body corporate having an object that is one or all of the following:

• production, harvesting, procurement, grading, pooling, handling, marketing, selling, the export of primary produce of the Members or import of goods or services for their benefit.

Further, the Producer Company must deal primarily with the produce of its active Members and must allow to carry on any of the following activities by itself or through other entities – on behalf of the members.

1. processing including preserving, drying, distilling, brewing, vinting, canning and packaging of the produce of its Members;
2. manufacture, sale or supply of machinery, equipment or consumables mainly to its Members;
3. providing education on the mutual assistance principles to its members and others;
4. rendering technical services, consultancy services, training, research and development and all other activities for the promotion of the interests of its Members;
5. generation, transmission and distribution of power, revitalisation of land and water resources, their use, conservation and communication relatable to primary produce;
6. insurance of producers or their primary produce;
7. promoting techniques of mutuality and mutual assistance;
8. welfare measures or facilities for the benefit of Members as may be decided by the Board;
9. any other activity, ancillary or incidental to any of the activities which may promote the principles of mutuality and mutual assistance amongst the Members in any other manner;
10. financing of procurement, processing, marketing or other activities which include extending of credit facilities or any other financial services to its Members.