Bhubaneswar: The state government has signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for augmenting farmers’ income and promoting agriculture entrepreneurship.
The first MoU was signed between Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (APICOL) and PRADAN, a non-government agency, for an agricultural entrepreneurship promotion scheme.
The scheme will operate in 40 tribal blocks in 12 districts on a pilot basis to promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots level.
As per this scheme, farmer-producer organisations and interest groups will be assisted by an agricultural entrepreneur (AE) for increasing farmers’ incomes. Each AE will cater to around 200 farmers in four to five villages and act as a one-stop resource centre. This will help two lakh farmers to increase their incomes in the next three years.
The MoU was signed by Subhrendu Sekhar Dey, managing director of APICOL and N Damodaran, Executive Director of PRADAN.
Likewise, another MoU was signed between APICOL and common service centre-special purpose vehicle (CSC-SPV) for execution of the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY).
Under this scheme, assistance will be given to farmers and agri-entrepreneurs through CSCs to complete the online registration process, including uploading and viewing of documents.
Attending the function, Odisha Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said, “The farmers of Odisha’s 40 tribal blocks can now get information. Our aim is to increase agri-entrepreneurship so that the incomes of farmers are increased.”
“PRADAN and CSC will open units in every panchayat and pass on information as well as do the registration among other things. The APICOL signed two MoUs with these two agencies as it will immensely benefit the farmers,” he said.
Agriculture Production Commissioner Pradipta Mohapatra said, “I am extremely happy with these two MoUs. It will help farmers much. The first MoU was signed with an NGO. It will help to promote agri-entrepreneurship in 40 tribal blocks. The second MoU is to ensure that farmers get themselves registered into the MKUY. Farmers can also register themselves through Common Service Centres (CSCs).”
The APICOL MD said, “The first MoU is with PRADAN for the Agriculture Entrepreneurship Scheme. This is for 40 tribal blocks. 1,000 agri-entrepreneurs will be selected and trained, and they will establish enterprises. Each agri-entrepreneur will help 200-250 farmers.”
“It may be manure, fertilizers or pesticides. If one opts for launching a nursery or poultry or fishery or goat farming assistance will be provided by the agri-entrepreneurs. The farmers will also be provided market linkage. They will also aggregate the farmers’ produce and market them so that they will get reasonable prices,” he added.