Asks SKUAST to constitute mentoring groups to guide FPOs
Srinagar, Sep 7: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting to review the finalization of action plan of Farmers Produce Organizations (FPOs) for effective implementation of the scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
Vice Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu, Secretary in APD (Horticulture), Secretary in APD, representatives of MD NCDC, MD Small Farmers Agri Business Consortium, MD Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, New Delhi, Director General Planning (APD), Director Finance (APD), representatives of NABARD, Director Floriculture Jammu, Director Sheep Husbandry Kashmir, MD, JK Agro Industries Development Corporation, Director Horticulture Kashmir, Director Floriculture Kashmir, Director Agriculture Jammu/Kashmir, Director Sheep Husbandry Jammu, MD JKHPMC, Director Fisheries J&K, Chief Executives of FPOs and other concerned attended the meeting in person and through virtual mode.
At the outset, heads of several FPOs from both the divisions of Kashmir and Jammu presented an overview of their respective organizations with respect to the status of their respective FPOs.
They informed the meeting about the farmers registered with their FPOs, turnover, funding, implementation etc of the FPOs.
During the meeting, Dulloo received several inputs from the FPOs, officers and other stakeholders regarding the farmer’s producer organization initiative and its implementation.
The meeting was told that the Agriculture Department has registered 113 FPOs (51 in Kashmir and 62 in Jammu) till date.
Speaking on the occasion, the ACS asked SKUAST-J/K to constitute mentoring groups each in the two divisions of the UT and to review performance of FPOs from time to time.
He opined that the mentoring groups would be helpful in guiding and for the handholding of these FPOs, besides helping for the successful implementation. He added that FPOS would be provided skill development and capacity building, besides guiding them in brand promotion, etc.
