Commissioner Secretary Cooperative and Mission Director, Holistic Agriculture Development Production (HADP), Yasha Mudgal, today had a comprehensive review of working of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). Yasha Mudgal assessed the impact of FPOs in fostering economic empowerment, enhancing market access and promoting sustainable farming practices in the region.“FPOs, being crucial entities in the agricultural landscape, can play a pivotal role in consolidating small and marginal farmers, providing them with a collective voice and a platform for inclusive growth”, she maintained.
Yasha Mudgal said that collectivization of small and marginal farmers to from their organizations as FPOs has been recognized as the most effective institutional mechanism to reduce production cost, increase productivity and facilitate better market. This will not only help in augmenting the income of farmers but shall also considerably improve rural economy and create job opportunities for rural youths in villages itself, she added.
In a forward-looking initiative, the Mission Director underscored the need for a comprehensive study to evaluate the current progress in the region. She stressed the importance of undertaking a comprehensive study to analyze the impact of existing FPOs on the local agricultural landscape and identify future opportunities for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) The study will encompass aspects such as economic growth, market penetration, and socio-economic uplift of the farming community, she added.
Also, the study will culminate in formulation of strategic recommendations to address challenges and capitalize on opportunities. She extolled that these recommendations will guide future initiatives and policies to bolster the growth and sustainability of FPOs.
It was informed in the meeting that 197 FPOs have been registered, so far, under the central sector ‘Formation & Promotion of 10,000 FPO’ scheme. Besides, apple is the primary product of one-fourth (49) of the total FPOs registered so far followed by vegetables (24).
The meeting was attended by Registrar, Cooperative Societies (RCS) J&K, Director Animal Husbandry Jammu, Director Agriculture/ Horticulture Jammu, Additional RCS Jammu/Kashmir, Regional Director NCDC, DGM NABARD, Regional Head NAFED, all Deputy Registrars and other concerned officers from allied departments while Kashmir based officers participated virtually.