In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in millets due to their nutritional benefits and sustainability. Millet farmers are not getting remunerative prices to their produce due to various constraints like lack of assured markets, lack of mechanization and less awareness on improved production techniques. Millet FPOs aim to improve the economic status and well-being of small, marginal and landless farmers by providing a platform to pool their resources to gain economies of scale, share knowledge, access technology, and collectively negotiate better prices for their produce. One of the most important aspects of FPOs is its effective management. With this background the current study was carried out to assess the managerial abilities of FPO members and its determinants. Survey research design was employed in this study. Four FPOs promoted by ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad were selected randomly and from each FPO 50 millet farmers were selected randomly thus making a total sample of 200. The study was conducted during the period 2022-23. A structured interview schedule was used for collecting the data on managerial aspects of millet FPOs in running the millet business. The findings of the study showed that; more than one-third of the respondents were found to have a medium to high level of overall managerial ability. The determinants that influenced the managerial abilities of respondents were education, annual income, occupation, training, market orientation, achievement motivation and risk orientation. The findings have theoretical and managerial impacts. It helps in making more informed policy decisions and capacity-building efforts, to benefit the farming community.

Keyword: Millet FPOs; Managerial abilities; Trainings; Millet Business; Factors.