FPO’s stakeholders meet begins at SKUAST-Jammu

A two-day FPO Stakeholders Meet under HADP Project No. 20 commenced today at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu) with the objective of strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders involved in the agricultural sector. The inaugural session was graced by Prof. B.N. Tripathi, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu as Chief Guest whose presence provided inspiration and guidance to all stakeholders participating in the event.

Hon’ble Vice Chancellor highlighted the significant role of HADP and JKCIP in strengthening FPOs and supporting farmers across the region. He emphasized that the Government is taking proactive steps to empower FPOs and enhance their capacity for sustainable growth. Prof. Tripathi further emphasized that FPOs play a crucial role in identifying farmers’ problems at the grassroots level and facilitating timely solutions. He further stressed that collective efforts of all stakeholders are essential to empower FPOs and transform them into effective instruments of farmers’ welfare and rural development.

Addressing the gathering online as Chairman of the session, Dr. Sagar Dattatrey (IAS), Mission Director, Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP)/JKCIP elaborated on the challenges faced by FPOs and discussed strategic measures for empowering them through convergence, capacity building and market oriented approaches.

Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension in his address emphasized that the forum provides an important platform for meaningful interactions on the challenges being faced by FPOs. With all key stakeholders present, he highlighted the opportunity for collective deliberation and solution-oriented discussions.

Dr. K.C. Gummagolmath, Director, MANAGE shared valuable insights on the national perspective of FPO development and highlighted the importance of institutional support mechanisms for farmer collectives.

Earlier, Dr. Vinod Gupta, Prof. & Head and Principal Investigator, HADP Project No. 20, welcomed the distinguished guests and participants and outlined the objectives and significance of the stakeholders’ meet.

Sh. Yogesh Thorat, Managing Director, Maha Farmers Producers Company Ltd. (MAHAFPC) and Resource Person from MANAGE highlighted the objectives of the stakeholder consultation and emphasized the need for collective efforts in making FPOs sustainable and profitable.

The panel discussions, chaired by Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu and Smt. Urmil Lata, DGM, NABARD focused on the role of government institutions, development departments, CBBOs and FPOs in strengthening farmer collectives and ensuring sustainability. Representatives from MANAGE, SKUAST-Jammu, APEDA, Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Cooperatives, and Agricultural Marketing, CBBOs and FPO leaders deliberated on inter-departmental convergence, policy support, governance, business planning, member mobilization, market access and capacity building. An open house discussion followed, where participants shared field-based recommendations. Overall, the deliberations emphasized institutional partnerships, financial inclusion, technical support and market integration as key drivers for making FPOs vibrant engines of rural development. Around 100 people participated in the stakeholder meet. Proceedings of the programme were conducted by Ms. Rohini Mishra.