IN order to promote formation and activities of Farmer Producer organisation, a three-day FPO Fair-cum-Exhibition was inaugurated in Krishi Mandapam in the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) campus, Raipur on Wednesday. The expo is being organised under the joint aegis of Agriculture Development, Farmer Welfare and Biotechnology Department, and Small Farmer’s Agri Business Association (GoI), New Delhi. MLA Anuj Sharma was the chief guest and inaugurated the exhibition. Mayor Meenal Chaubey and Chief General Manager of NABARD Gyanendra Mani were present as special guests. Vice-Chancellor of IGKV Dr Girish Chandel presided over the programme.

 

Processed and organic food products manufactured by various FPO of Chhattisgarh are on display and sale in the expo. The products include aromatic organic rice, black rice, red rice, green rice, brown rice, pulses, oilseeds, spices, millets, multigrain flour, pickles of various fruits and vegetables, jam, jelly, ketch-up, chutney, papad, Kachi Ghani oil, Makhana and organic jaggery. While inaugurating the fair, Chief Guest MLA Anuj Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is stressing on the establishment of FPO to increase the income of farmers and a target has been set to form more than 10,000 FPOs across the country. Dr Girish Chandel said, “FPO do value addition by processing and packaging the crops, which increases the income of farmers.

 

The quality of the products manufactured by FPOs is good and the price is also right, due to which these products are becoming popular.” Dr Chandel said that on the instructions of the Government of India, for the first time FPO fair is being organised in Chhattisgarh in the IGKV campus. He expressed hope that in the coming years this fair will be organised on a more grand and large scale.