Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), an autonomous body under Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Government of Odisha, was constituted in 1991 under Societies Registration Act, 1860 to facilitate marketing of rural products. ORMAS works on rural development, livelihood promotion, marketing, women's empowerment, livelihood activities, DDU-GKY etc. In the long run, it helps to improve the economic condition of the rural Craftsman/artisans and producers. ORMAS plays a vital role in Livelihood Promotion & Marketing Support in rural artisans/producers.

• ORMAS is actively involved in backward & forward linkage as well as in providing handholding support.
• ORMAS is actively involved in Producers’ Group formation, Producer Company, Cluster formation, CBBO & FPO formation and promotion activity.
• Product diversification, value addition, design-development, certifying & branding& packaging of products.
• ORMAS is helping rural producers in improving their product quality by introducing appropriate and latest technology.
• Facilitating the bulk purchase of rural produces by establishing institutional/corporate tie-ups. Retail outlets, Government Organizations for marketing tie-up. Sales channel for identified rural products.
• Organizing exhibitions at National, State, and District levels for display and sale of rural products.

Livelihood Activities

ORMAS Balasore is involved in various livelihoods activities in the district such as promotion of SHG, PG, marketing SHGs, Clusters, CBBO, FPO, Producer Company etc. It works in convergence with different department to promote the rural livelihoods of the members by providing them handholding support, backward & forward linkage, financial support, marketing support etc.

Producers’ Groups

The producers’ Groups are intended to bring producers under the umbrella of economic organizations/ business organizations and aim to take care of their product collectivization, processing, value addition, social and economic needs as well as marketing support. The objectives will intrinsically cover backward, forward and horizontal integration.

• ORMAS Balasore has a total of 172 Producers’ Group till FY 2024-25. The details of the activities are given below.
• The major activities of the PGs formed are: Agarbatti, Coir, Sabai, Tailoring, Mushroom, Honey, Sal Leaf plate making, NTFP, Goatery, Food Processing, Areca Leaf plate making, Bay leaf, Teracotta, Woolen etc
• Producers’ Groups is related to aggregation, collectivization, processing and marketing of produce of the producer members.
• A PG can be formed at the village/GP level with minimum of 20 members and maximum of 150 members.
• The PG shall have commodity base from agriculture and allied produce, NTFP, handloom, textile etc. for primary processing and marketing.
• PGs/ PCs shall cover backward, forward and horizontal integration: Backward integration-to minimize producers’ risk and increase productivity. Forward integration-for value addition, including post-harvest and marketing support. Horizontal integration-for development of self-reliant organization having decision making, quality control, standardization of products and sharing of benefits.
• To act as a platform for knowledge and technology transfer.
• To provide business development services and enterprise promotion incentives such as market intelligence, agribusiness, setting up agro industries, micro enterprises, processing units and small or cottage industries in due course of time.

Livelihood Cluster

A cluster is generally defined as a geographically bounded concentration of similar, related or complementary productive enterprises with shared infrastructure, markets and services and with common opportunities and threats.

Clusters can also be developed with coordinated intervention by producer organizations, development agencies, government departments and financial institutions. Several successful initiatives have been undertaken for development of industries clusters under various programme.

Advantages of Clusters

Cluster approach offers the following advantages.

• Development of clusters gives the advantage of economies of scale in procurement of raw materials, production and post- production operations.
• Cluster facilitates establishment of all forward and backward linkages effectively.
• Better supervision and close monitoring over the functioning of micro- enterprises and their growth.

Producer Company

•  A Producer Company is registered under Section 8 of Companies Act-2013.
• A Producer Company is formed by a group of farm & nonfarm producers/ artisans.
• It is a registered body with producers as shareholders in the organisation.
• It deals with business activities related to the farm & nonfarm produce and it works for the benefit of the member producers.
• It is formed by the Producers for the Producers.
• Freedom of doing business as per Companies Act.
• The day to day management of a PC is done by the CEO, a Marketing Manager/Procurement Manager, Accountant, and Cluster Coordinator.
• ORMAS Balasore has formed one Producer Company named Balasore Jeevika producer Company Ltd.

Promotion by Producer Company

• Cluster Identification
• Diagnostic study
• Feasibility study
• Baseline study
• Business planning

Services provided by the Producer Company

• Financial services
• Input supply support
• Procurement and packaging services
• Marketing services
• Insurance services
• Technical services
• Networking services

Balasore Jeevika Producer Company Ltd.

A Producer Company has been formed in the district which will be covering all PGs of the district. The Producer Company deals with Agriculture and allied products, Handlooms and Handicrafts. Balasore Jeevika Producer Company Limited is a private company incorporated on 24 August 2020. It is classified as non-government company and is registered at Registrar of Companies, Cuttack. 

Balasore Jeevika Producer Company's Corporate Identification Number (CIN) is U01100OR2020PTC033866 and its registration number is 33866. Users may contact Balasore Jeevika Producer Company on its e-mail address - bjpcl2020@gmail.com. Registered address of Balasore Jeevika Producer Company is SHED NO TS-2/2 INDUSTRIAL ESTATE AGARBATTI PERFUMING, ANGARGADIA, Baleshwar, Orissa, India - 756001.

BJPCL provides Input support, Value addition & Marketing Support to the Producers. BJPCL also acts as a Nodal PG to monitor all the PGs in the district. BJPCL has been given an amount of Rs 61.5 lakh for promotion and marketing of activities by PGs. There are 13 Board of directors 07 UM-LSP nominated for BJPCL. At present, BJPCL has 553 shareholders.