Himachal’s ‘first’ farmer-producer organisation in the works

Palampur, August 26

About 70 farmers of the Lambagaon block have got together to set up the state’s first farmer-producer organisation (FPO), courtesy the Agriculture Department’s ATMA project.

A meeting in this regard was organised at the block office yesterday. Prof Ashok Sarial, former Vice Chancellor of Agriculture University, Palampur, and a resident of Suan village in Lambagaon block was the chief guest.

He advised the farmers to form a farmer-producer organisation to increase their income by collectively growing natural turmeric.

Sushil Kumar, Deputy Project Director of Agriculture Department, ATMA, spoke about the government’s Prakritk Kheti Khushal Kisan Project. He said the objective was to form the state’s first farmer-producer organisation on natural turmeric cultivation in the Lambagaon block.

Under the proposal, farmers doing natural farming will be linked to the organisation of natural turmeric production.

They will be registered, trained in the method of growing turmeric, imparted knowledge on value addition and certify the produce.

He also explained the method of making natural fertilisers like Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit used in farming.

Puni Chand Rana, retired Deputy Director, Horticulture, shared with the farmers the experience of growing natural turmeric in his native village Nahalna. Block Development Committee chairman Kulwant Rana praised the officials of the ATMA project and the former Vice Chancellor in setting up the state’s first natural turmeric organisation in Lambagaon block and thanked the government.

ATMA project experts Vishakha Paul, Banu Sood, Divya Sharma, Dinesh Kumar and Mayank Sharma were also present in the meeting.