Awareness programme for Farmers of Breng Vegetable FPO held

ANANTNAG, January 04: Breng Vegetable Farmers Producers Organization (FPO), promoted by NABARD under Central Sector FPO scheme today conducted an awareness programme for its Directors (BODs) and shareholders at Breng, Anantnag.

District Development Manager NABARD, Rouf Zargar was the chief guest on the occasion and the programme was attended by District Agriculture officer, Subject Matter Specialist, Sub Divisional Agriculture Officers and experts from Cluster Based Organization (IGSSS), besides the programme was also attended by large number of FPO members, mostly women farmers.

DDM NABARD highlighted the importance of FPOs in today’s emerging agriculture markets and spoke about the Government’s thrust on FPO scheme. He guided the FPO board members about their role as directors and discussed the strategy to conduct the business with regard to the vegetable produce.

He also spoke about the business plan model of FPO and marketing options available to the FPO.

DDM was informed that till date FPO has mobilized 164 vegetable farmers of the area and has established a share capital of 1.22 Lakh rupees. The FPO has also received the matching equity share of 1.22 lakh from the Govt of India through NABARD. The FPO has been making joint purchases of input supply and consolidating the output produce, particularly the exotic variety of vegetables.

On the occasion, District Agriculture SMS briefed the FPO farmers about the various schemes of the Agriculture Department available exclusively to FPOs. He urged the FPO to avail the benefit of Hi-tech polyhouse scheme and grow vegetables under the protected conditions to manage the temperature fluctuations.

Later, DDM NABARD handed over the share certificates to share holding members and urged them to strengthen the share equity base of the FPO to make the FPO more sustainable. He advised the farmers to sell their produce through the FPO instead of handing it over to middlemen.