DDC Srinagar chairs DLMC meet for formation and promotion of FPOs

Srinagar: The District Development Commissioner (DDC) Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz Asad Thursday chaired a maiden meeting of District Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC) for “Formation and Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO)”.
During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held on formation and promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations in Srinagar district being to scale-up production, branding and marketing of produces under centrally sponsored scheme of NABARD sector.
The meeting discussed the proposed plan for the setting up of FPOs in the identified clusters in Srinagar district.
On the occasion, the DDC gave approval for establishing five FPOs in Srinagar at Wanganpora Noorbagh, Ranbir Garh, Tengpora, Dal and Danihama which shall be promoted involving different agriculture products leading to the enhancing of farmers income besides generating employment opportunities for local unemployed youth.
Similarly, the DDC approved three cases for Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM-FME scheme) under “One District-One Product”(ODOP) scheme for Atamnirbhar at Peerbagh, Ziyarat Batamaloo, Dangerpora City Colony in Srinagar district.
The DDC also instructed the line departments to identify the avenues for increasing the marketability and value addition of agriculture produce of the farmers in the district.
He said that a focused attention is being given for upliftment of the socio-economic sector to generate employment opportunities for the local population. He said under this programme, the on-going schemes of the government may also be converged to enhance the cost effectiveness of FPOs and create valuable infrastructure in the sector.
The DC directed the Agriculture and Horticulture department to sensitize farmers about the advantage of FPO for taking maximum benefits from their crops by selling their produce in an organized way.
He explained that the FPO is an institutional mechanism to reduce cost of production, increase per unit production and facilitate better market linkage so as to enhance the income of farmers.
The FPO will provide an end to end solution of the problems confronted by the farmers. The farmers will be free to manage their affairs from the production level to post harvest and marketing of their branded products, this will eliminate the clutches of the middle man and will be a big step towards the doubling of farmers’ income, the DC added.
Earlier, a detailed overview about the benefits of scheme was presented through a PowerPoint presentation by DDM NABARD. He explained that in addition to grant support from NABARD for a period of three years, the FPOs can also obtain equity grant fund to the tune of Rs. 15 lakh/FPO and can avail credit guarantee support upto Rs. 2 crores from banks and other financial institutions.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Chief Planning Officer, Srinagar, Chief Agriculture Officer, Chief Horticulture Officer, General Manager DIC, District Lead Bank Manager and DDM NABARD besides, other officers of allied departments.