Sustainability of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) is the key to push the development agenda of agriculture in India especially for small and marginal farmers, eminent agricultural economist V S Vyas said today.
Due to fragmentation and disorganisation, it is not economically viable for small and marginal farmers to adopt latest technology and use of high yielding varieties of inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, etc, he said, addressing a seminar on agricultre marketing and role of FPOs.
He said farmers are also unable to realise good value from their marketable surplus by individually selling their produce. Therefore, collectivising farmers into Farmers' Producer Organizations (FPOs) has been considered as one of the ways to procure inputs at a lower price and gain more selling power for their produce/ product.
Chief general manager of NABARD, R.K Thanvi, said that FPOs assume critical importance in the context of Prime Minister's vision of doubling of farmers' income by 2022.
He said that NABARD has promoted about 4,000 FPOs during last three years across the country.
In Rajasthan, NABARD has provided support for formation and nurturing of 272 FPOs engaged in agriculture and allied activities.
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