CORRESPONDENT
NAGAON: The first annual general meeting of Thaisu Valley Agro Farmers’ Producer Company Ltd. was conducted on Friday last at the Thaisupar GP conference hall under the Lumding Development Block in Hojai district.
The shareholder members of the FPC were addressed by ADC Joy Sankar Sarmah, Rajendar Perna, DDM NABARD, local representative Sangeeta Mudoi, ADOs Uddipana Sandilya and Jyoti Sarmah, Rajiv Mishra, senior general manager of Eco Tech Agro Mills, and Neeraj Saikia, senior manager of ISAP India. The FPC is promoted under the CSS-FPO Scheme by the NABARD and ISAP India Foundations.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajendar Perna, DDM NABARD, informed the participants that, with special emphasis on the aggregation and processing of agri-produce in cluster modes for enhancing the farmer’s income on a sustainable basis, NABARD has been supporting the formation and promotion of FPOs through PODF and PRODUCE funds.
Since the introduction of the CSS-FPO Scheme by the Government of India in February 2021, NABARD has been playing a proactive role as one of the principal implementing agencies in promoting and nurturing numerous FPOs across India, he said, adding that accordingly, under the CSS-FPO Scheme, NABARD, along with the CBBO, viz., the ISAP India Foundation, is instrumental in the promotion of TVAFPCL on the primary activity of sugarcane cultivation and processing. He also shared that they were in discussions with local sugar-based industries like Eco Tech Agro Mills Ltd. and White Gold Agro Products for suitable tie-up arrangements for the benefit of the cane growers.
In his address, ADC Joy Sankar Sarmah said that the governments of India and Assam are giving special attention to the holistic development of the entire agriculture sector, with a special focus on the aggregation and doubling of farmers’ income. He highlighted that focused initiatives like the promotion of 10,000 FPOs, financing of agriculture infrastructure, supporting export-oriented processing, etc. are contributing positively towards the development of the sector. He appreciated the efforts of NABARD and ISAP India for aggregating small as well as marginal farmers and promoting the FPO.
Neeraj Saikia, senior manager of the ISAP India Foundation, asserted that over 150 dugarcane growers in the Kaki-Thaisupar region became shareholder members of this FPC and expressed the desire to enhance the membership strength to over 250 in the coming months.
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