District Level Training cum orientation programme on the “Formulation of 300 FPOs’’(Farmers Producers Organization) under holistic agriculture development programme (HADP) was held at Agriculture complex Lalmandi Srinagar.
The programme was inaugurated by the Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal. Addressing the inaugural session of District Level training programme Director highlighted the importance of FPOs for small farmers.
He said that small holders constitute a vast majority of farmers in the UT of J&K, in addition small holders are especially vulnerable to climate change aggregated weather events, like untimely rain, severe drought and floods, hailstorm and pest infestation any of which could wipe out their crops, therefore the FPO’s farmers producer organization play an important role and enables farmers to get the benefit of economics of scale.
FPO’s help farmers to get benefit from shared resources, get better access to the markets and latest technologies, he said and added. Director agriculture emphasized upon product based approach in formulation of FPOs for holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors.
Director asked the participants & officers of the allied departments to work in coordination for the successful implementation of the projects under holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors programme. He underlined the importance of collaborative approach for achieving the set targets under different projects.
The Training programme was attended by joint Director Apiculture and Mushroom Nodal Officer for holistic development training) Tabasum Naz, Senior scientist KYK Srinagar, District level officers of agriculture and department, Resource persons, Sub divisional level and Zonal level officers of agriculture and allied departments.