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Thursday / November 21. 2024

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HomePosts Tagged "Biswajit Behera"
AgroPolicy, Fruits, Horticulture, India, Supply Chain, Trade, Vegetables

The workshop focused on educating FPOs about the processes and opportunities in the export market.

NABARD, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Govt. of Odisha, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Palladium organized a strategy workshop in Mayurbhanj of Odisha for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) on exporting fresh vegetables from Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Balasore districts in north zone of the state. Facilitated by Palladium as Technical Support Unit (TSU) to the Directorate of Horticulture, Odisha, the event aimed to enhance the export potential of fresh vegetables from the region.

The workshop focused on educating FPOs about the processes and opportunities in the export market, with a specific goal of exporting okra, bitter gourd, and long beans to Dubai within the next six months, as per the demand. In last three months, for the first time, eight FPOs exported over 86 quintals of mangoes and fresh vegetables to seven countries in the Middle East and Europe – United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Qatar and UAE.

Many esteemed speakers, including exporters, representatives from NABARD, APEDA, State and district officials from the department and Palladium graced the event. The inaugural session included opening remarks and special addresses from dignitaries, followed by informative sessions led by Dr. Sudhanshu K.K. Mishra (CGM NABARD), APEDA’s Regional Head, Sitakanta Mandal, Palladium’s Associate Director, Biswajit Behera and representatives from export houses. The workshop saw an active interaction of representatives from FPOs with other stakeholders.  Mahila Pragati Farmer Producer Company Limited, a successful FPO from Rayagada, presented its success story and the plan for diversifying into other commodities for export. The all women FPO with over 1900 members has recently been exporting mangoes and fresh vegetables.

Addressing the inaugural session, Dr. Sudhanshu K.K Mishra, CGM NABARD, said “Three areas are key to boost export in the state – strengthening supply to meet market demand, adherence to international quality standards, and role of packaging. The markets are demanding, and only good quality produce will fetch remunerative prices. NABARD along with APEDA, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Palladium, will focus on the value-chain development in fruits and vegetables to increase export of fresh produce from the state.”

Biswajit Behera, Associate Director, Palladium said, “Facilitating export of fresh produce from Odisha is one of the key focus areas of the state government as it is facilitating cold-chain facilities across the state to boost export from the state. Palladium is working closely with the FPOs in the state to make the farmers market-ready and the FPOs supply ready”. He further added, “Palladium is facilitating multiple stakeholder consultations to develop concrete action plans and roadmap for export. Moreover, the team is working with the Government, APEDA, NABARD and exporters to identify and bridge the gaps in exporting fresh produce from the state.”

Sitakanta Mandal, Regional Manager APEDA said, “Production planning, infrastructure support and training and handholding FPOs is crucial for strengthening supply of fresh produce from FPOs to international markets. To achieve this, we need to adopt a collaborative approach with the key stakeholders. Our next focus would be to conduct a state-level export sensitization workshop to provide technical handholding to FPOs in Odisha on export process and potential.”

The workshop focused on educating FPOs about

Company News, Fruits, Horticulture, India, Supply Chain, Trade

Odisha’s Horticulture Directorate and APEDA collaborated with Palladium as a technical partner to boost farmers’ incomes by exploring new export avenues for fresh produce.

Palladium, under the Promotion & Stabilization of Farmer Producer Organizations (PSFPO) Project, has achieved a significant milestone by supporting the Mahila Kisan Farmer Producer Company (MKFPCL) from Rayagada in exporting 9.5 Quintals of Amrapalli mangoes from Odisha to London. This is an all-women farmer producer company promoted by PRADAN under the Agricultural Production Cluster scheme of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Odisha. This landmark export has resulted in a remarkable 40 per cent increase in price realisation for more than 1900 women farmers involved.

“We didn’t anticipate that mangoes from our FPO would reach global markets. Through this linkage, we have learned that the demand for mangoes in international markets is high. By adopting best packaging practices, gaining access to storage infrastructure, and using quality packaging materials, we believe we can establish sustainable market linkages through export” said Gita Nimhala, Board of Director, MKFPCL, Bankili, Rayagada.

Celebrating this milestone, Biswajit Behera, Director, Palladium India also added “By focusing on women-led FPOs, we are tapping into a transformative potential within the agriculture sector. By enabling these women farmers to access international markets, we are not only ensuring higher price realizations but also setting the stage for a new revolution in agriculture. Women farmers, when given the right opportunities, can drive significant economic and social change. This initiative is a testament to the power of inclusivity and empowerment in driving sustainable development.”

In another noteworthy achievement under the PSFPO project, Palladium successfully facilitated the export of 7.5 quintals of premium mango varieties, including Amrapali, Mallika, Chousa, Himsagar, Baiganpali, and Latsundari. These mangoes were showcased at the prestigious Indian Mango Festival (Indian Hamba) in Doha, Qatar, from May 30 to June 8, 2024. 

Palladium, engaged as the Technical Support Unit under the Directorate of Horticulture Odisha, in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), is actively exploring new export avenues for fresh produce from the state. This initiative not only promises to boost farmers’ incomes but also enhances their market reach, both domestically and globally.

“Palladium, under the PSFPO project, strives to provide holistic support to Odisha’s FPOs. Key initiatives include organizing field visits for exporters, sending mango samples to exporters, and coordinating with the FPOs after receiving indents from exporters. Palladium also educates, sensitizes, and supports farmers on procuring, processing techniques, grading and sorting, packaging and cargo shipment of mangoes, thereby ensuring adherence to international quality standards and proper post-harvest management practices to maintain the quality of produce. While PSFPO provides end-to-end support to facilitate export of fresh produce from the state through FPOs, the ultimate goal is to guide the FPOs in these endeavours, ensuring they become familiar with the processes. Through these comprehensive efforts, Palladium not only connects Odisha FPOs with highly remunerative international markets helping farmers achieve better prices through value addition at farm level, but also promotes social inclusiveness by engaging women farmers and socio-economically marginalized farming communities, alongside private sector players”, said Debarati Ghatak, Private Sector Engagement specialist, PSFPO.

Odisha's Horticulture Directorate and APEDA collaborated with