The FPOs will provide better market linkage to small holder farmers.
In order to provide better market linkage to small holder farmers and help those applying better agricultural practices, the Centre has planned for formation of 10,000 new farmer producer organisations (FPOs). The responsibility of completing this task lies with the Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), which is also responsible for strengthening the e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform in the present circumstances. There has been considerable progress in institutional and private investments after the establishment of SFAC, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has informed while addressing the 24th Management Board and 19th Annual General Board meetings of the SFAC in New Delhi recently.
SFAC has linked 1000 agriculture markets to e-NAM in two phases. Business of more than Rs 100,000 crore has been transacted over the e-NAM platform till now. More than 1.66 crore farmers and more than 1.30 lakh businesses have been registered with e-NAM since its inception.
The agriculture minister congratulated SFAC team for linking 1000 markets to e-NAM in two phases. He further said that the purpose of creating the platform should be accomplished. Business of more than Rs 100,000 crore has been transacted over the e-NAM platform till now. More than 1.66 crore farmers and more than 1.30 lakh businesses have been registered with e-NAM since its inception. Tomar said that it was a challenge for us to ensure that as a result of reforms, there is ease in selling of produce, along with transparency, farmers get remunerative prices for their produce and they have direct access to this platform. Farmers have completed the harvesting work with great dedication even during the period of lockdown and earning is also now being completed successfully. SFAC must be congratulated for helping the farmers in this.
FPOs must not only be formed but they must also achieve their objectives. Their responsibilities increase in ensuring that farmers gather in groups, hold discussions and get trained, increase their production, diversify their crops, and discuss ways of decreasing use of pesticides among other holding discussion on other related discussions. In between the problem of COVID-19 appeared yet the pace of Ministry of Agriculture and farmers have not slackened, Tomar said. He appreciated that SFAC launched the Kisan Rath app with the help of officials of the Ministry of Agriculture which lessened the problem of transport of farm produce during lockdown, the minister informed.
