SRINAGAR: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a UT Level Consultative Committee Meeting of Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) at the Civil Secretariat here.
The meeting held a threadbare discussion on the functioning of FPOs in Jammu and Kashmir and identifying any constraints or challenges being faced by these organizations besides suggesting measures to overcome them. The concerned officers gave several suggestions for ensuring that FPOs are functioning efficiently and effectively in achieving their objectives.
While reviewing the status of FPOs in J&K, Atal Dulloo said that there are certain roadblocks that need to be removed for the successful implementation of the scheme. He asked the officers to create awareness among the farmers about the advantages of working together and forming FPOs. He also directed them to frame a calendar of activities regarding seminars and awareness camps for FPOs at the district level.
Atal Dulloo said that many farmers may lack the technical knowledge needed to run an FPO effectively so they need to be provided requisite training to develop their management and marketing skills.
ACS said that addressing certain bottlenecks will be crucial for the successful implementation of the 10000 FPO scheme and for improving the income of small and marginal farmers in JK. He asked the officers to sensitize the prospective FPOs regarding the KYC documents required for opening bank accounts.
The meeting observed that awareness and training programs for bankers and leading banks at the district level regarding credit-linked schemes of the agriculture sector and financing FPOs can play a crucial role in promoting rural development and increasing access to credit for small and marginal farmers.
The training programs shall cover various credit-linked schemes for the agriculture sector such as Kisan Credit Card, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, and others. The bankers can be trained on the eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, loan processing, and disbursement besides monitoring and recovery mechanisms of these schemes.
The meeting also had a thorough discussion on the provision of land for creating infrastructure by FPOs, the quantum of loan (Term loan/Working Capital) and collateral required for FPO financing, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Farmers Producer Organisations Financing (CGSFPO)-NABSanrakshan as the Trustee, Draft Interest Subvention Policy Scheme for FPOs under UT Capex to ensure access to small loans and encourage prompt repayment by FPOs on the pattern of other states.
