State to provide 70-90% subsidy for pack-houses

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 11

Farmers producers organisations (FPOs) in Haryana will get 70 to 90 per cent subsidy for setting up of pack-houses as the state government has earmarked Rs510 crore for setting up 140 pack-houses for fruits and vegetables in the state.

The pack-houses will have facilities of sorting, grading and packing, besides having washing line and cold storage facilities.

“So far, 21 FPOs have shown interest in the projects and letters of interest have been issued to three projects, one in Ambala and 2 in Kurukshetra,” said Arjun Singh Saini, Director, Horticulture, Haryana.

“A majority of land holdings belong to small and marginal farmers. Being unorganised, they are unable to realise the desired value from their produce. Organising them into FPOs will benefit them in purchase of inputs, processing and marketing of produce,” he said.

The concept of FPOs as enshrined under a national scheme is collectivisation of producers, particularly small and marginal farmers, into producers’ organisation.

The FPOs have emerged as one of the most effective pathways to address the many challenges of agriculture, but most importantly, improved access to investment, technology, inputs and markets.

The FPOs are registered under special provisions of the Companies Act, 1956, and their function is to mobilise farmers and build their capacity to collectively leverage their production and marketing strength.

To strengthen FPOs, loans and subsidies were being provided to them for setting up cold storages as well as pack-houses, said Navraj Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department.

She said 87 FPOs were functional in the state so far, but the government aimed to have one FPO in each of the 140 crop clusters identified in the 22 districts of the state. Each such crop cluster comprised three or four villages with an area of 400 to 500 acres.