NEW DELHI: In a move to transform Uttar Pradesh into India’s food basket, the BJP government has announced the formation of a Farmer Producer Cell.
This initiative aims to enhance the effectiveness of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and connect them with online marketing platforms such as the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and e-NAM.
The newly established cell will act as a pivotal agency for accelerating the online registration of active FPOs in Uttar Pradesh. It will also facilitate essential processes such as licensing and equity grants, ensuring that FPOs receive the necessary support to thrive. To expedite these efforts, the state government has prepared an action plan and will run a comprehensive three-month campaign.
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Currently, 3,240 FPOs are registered under the Atma Nirbhar Krishak Samanvit Vikas Yojana on the Shakti Portal. The government’s directive to the Agriculture Department includes strengthening these active FPOs and integrating them with ONDC and e-NAM through the Farmer Producer Cell.
A detailed action plan has been formulated to support this initiative, focusing on the promotion of FPOs and the creation of a transparent agricultural market. The plan outlines processes for obtaining input licenses (fertilizers, seeds, pesticides), mandi licenses, GST licenses, and FSSAI licenses. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of onboarding FPOs onto the ONDC platform for better market linkage.
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The Farmer Producer Cell will also facilitate various critical processes, including equity grants, input licenses, seed licenses, seed dealership licenses, and fertilizer licenses. To further support FPOs, the cell will organize meetings at multiple levels with government officials and prepare a detailed progress report to monitor the campaign’s effectiveness.
The monitoring of this initiative will be conducted by the State Level Consultative Committee (SLCC) and the District Level Monitoring Committee (DMC), ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the campaign.