<p>The Karnataka government has set the ball rolling for 750 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the state, catering to farmers, fishermen and weavers.</p>.<p>The FPOs are planned to serve as a platform for the producers to come together and work as a community, thereby boosting market for their produce.</p>.<p>In a government order (GO) in this regard on Monday, approval was given for an estimated Rs 225 crore for the same.</p>.<p>Recently, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced the government’s plans for creating FPOs under ‘Amrith’ programmes. </p>.<p>According to the GO, these organisations will not only equip farmers with latest equipment, techniques and infrastructure to boost their produce, but will also serve as a platform to market the produce. </p>.<p>While they have been planned to be created at the hobli level, there will be separate FPOs for farmers, weavers and fishermen.</p>.<p>Explaining how the FPOs are set to work, an official who is part of the planning process in the agriculture department told <span class="italic">DH</span>: “These bodies will be created at hobli-level and farmers themselves will lead it, while the government will merely take on the role of guidance.</p>.<p>Training will be given to them initially on organising the FPOs. A state-level committee led by the development commissioner will look into the implementation process.” </p>.<p>The FPOs are expected to empower producers by offering them a platform to come together as a community.</p>.<p>“If a farmer goes to the market individually with five to 10 quintals of produce, they will not have bargaining power. If they go as a community, they will be able to congregate themselves, have bargaining power and attract more buyers with a bigger volume of produce,” the official explained.</p>.<p>The producers can also directly sell their produce to consumers. The FPOs will equally have the liberty to process their produce and sell it in their own brand, he added. </p>.<p>The government has set a three-year deadline to establish the 750 FPOs and the process for identifying the number of FPOs in each district and training the producers is set to commence soon. </p>
<p>The Karnataka government has set the ball rolling for 750 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the state, catering to farmers, fishermen and weavers.</p>.<p>The FPOs are planned to serve as a platform for the producers to come together and work as a community, thereby boosting market for their produce.</p>.<p>In a government order (GO) in this regard on Monday, approval was given for an estimated Rs 225 crore for the same.</p>.<p>Recently, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced the government’s plans for creating FPOs under ‘Amrith’ programmes. </p>.<p>According to the GO, these organisations will not only equip farmers with latest equipment, techniques and infrastructure to boost their produce, but will also serve as a platform to market the produce. </p>.<p>While they have been planned to be created at the hobli level, there will be separate FPOs for farmers, weavers and fishermen.</p>.<p>Explaining how the FPOs are set to work, an official who is part of the planning process in the agriculture department told <span class="italic">DH</span>: “These bodies will be created at hobli-level and farmers themselves will lead it, while the government will merely take on the role of guidance.</p>.<p>Training will be given to them initially on organising the FPOs. A state-level committee led by the development commissioner will look into the implementation process.” </p>.<p>The FPOs are expected to empower producers by offering them a platform to come together as a community.</p>.<p>“If a farmer goes to the market individually with five to 10 quintals of produce, they will not have bargaining power. If they go as a community, they will be able to congregate themselves, have bargaining power and attract more buyers with a bigger volume of produce,” the official explained.</p>.<p>The producers can also directly sell their produce to consumers. The FPOs will equally have the liberty to process their produce and sell it in their own brand, he added. </p>.<p>The government has set a three-year deadline to establish the 750 FPOs and the process for identifying the number of FPOs in each district and training the producers is set to commence soon. </p>