Mysore/Mysuru: Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje said that the Union Government has planned to set up over 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) across the country in the coming days.

Addressing a press meet at a private hotel adjacent to Lokayukta office here this morning, Shobha Karandlaje, who is an MP from Udupi-Chikkamagalur Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka, said that FPO is one of the many initiatives of PM Narendra Modi for economic betterment of farming community, especially small and marginal farmers.

She pointed out that the FPOs, where the members are farmers itself, provide end-to end support and services to small farmers and cover technical services, marketing, processing and other aspects of cultivation inputs. The FPOs also provide farmers access to timely and adequate credit and provide linkages to markets,  she added.

Referring to fertiliser scenario, Shobha said that the country had to import petroleum-based fertilisers as there was a shortfall in other types of fertilisers during COVID crisis. Announcing that there are plans to set up more fertiliser units to meet the domestic demands and become totally self-reliant, the Union Minister said that these new units will be established shortly.

Explaining the initiatives of the Union Government for doubling farmers income and providing them market support, Shobha Karandlaje said that the Government is in talks with Afra Import and Exports Company and the DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) on exporting agricultural and Horticultural produce to needed countries. Maintaining that several rounds of talks have been held with exporters on the prospects of export of each farm produce, she said that the Government is studying the terms and conditions of production and storage.

Accordingly, the farmers will be educated on the quality and quantity of fertilisers to be used and all other aspects of crop production, she said that Agro-based Clusters (AC), which are a concentration of producers, agribusinesses and institutions that are engaged in the same agricultural or agro-industrial sub-sector, will be engaged for the purpose. Shobha further said that PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana), a scheme for integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure, will help the farmers in preservation of their produce and access to markets, where the farmers will get a better price.

Ex-MLC G. Madusudhan, BJP candidate for South Graduates Constituency M.V. Ravishankar, City BJP President T.S. Srivatsa, party leaders Cable Mahesh, U.S. Shekar were present.