SRINAGAR: Director Agriculture Kashmir, Sartaj Ahmad Shah, today inaugurated a one-day sensitisation programme on Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs) at the Agriculture complex Lalmandi Srinagar.
The program was attended by the Joint Director of Agriculture Extension, the joint director of Agriculture Inputs, the project coordinator for mushrooms, the PDO, ADO Srinagar, district nodal officers for the FPO scheme and the members of registered FPOs across the Kashmir division.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director marked the role of FPOs in modern agriculture. He said the FPO scheme is one of the innovative initiatives under HADP to strengthen the socio-economic conditions of farmers, and today’s program is aimed at capacity building of FPOs.
The Director further noted that a majority of farmers in Jammu and Kashmir are small and marginal landholders who are highly vulnerable to climate change, erratic weather events, and pest infestations. In this context, he emphasised that FPOs play a vital role by enabling farmers to achieve economies of scale, access shared resources, adopt modern and sustainable technologies, and secure better market linkages.
Shah impressed upon the concerned officers to work in close coordination with the FPOs and address their issues, if any, on a priority basis.