“There are a total of 1,472 farmer producer organisations (FPO) in the State established under various schemes and departments, and there are 8.26 lakh farmer shareholders. Business transactions worth ₹1,073 crore have occurred through these FPOs so far,” said Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy on Friday after inaugurating the three-day FPO mela in the College of Horticulture at the University of Horticultural Sciences- Bagalkot (UHS - B) campus in Bengaluru.
The mela was organised by the Small Farmer’s Agri Business Consortium (SFAC), Government of India, in collaboration with the Watershed Development Department (WDD) and the Centre of Excellence for FPO (COE-FPO), Bengaluru. More than 90 stalls displaying various millets, coffee, rice, and spices have been set up at the fair to promote farmer empowerment by minimalising middleman interference and making agriculture a profitable enterprise.
Mr. Chaluvarayaswamy also said that while 486 Amrit FPOs were established during the tenure of the previous government, in 2024 - 25, the present State government allocated ₹21 crore for those FPOs. He also said that the government grants ₹18 lakh to FPOs for a period of three years for operational expenses while it grants ₹25 lakh for a period of five years to community based business organisations.
The buyers at the mela appreciated the event by saying that it was a good platform for startups to meet farmers directly.
Published - February 28, 2025 08:55 pm IST
