Coimbatore: At least 100 farmers from Seerapalayam and nearby villages near Malumichampatti have formed a farmer producer organisation (FPO) to benefit from government initiatives, reduce input costs, and maximise profits.
On Saturday, district collector G S Sameeran handed over nine farming equipment costing Rs. 5,67,400, including power weeders, brush cutters, and post hole diggers. The farmers had to pay only 67,400 out of their own pockets for the equipment. The state government provided the remaining 5 lakh to encourage collective farming.
The FPO, according to Mahesh Kumar, is a collection of five farmers' interest organisations, each having 20 members. "Collective farming will help us reduce input costs since we will be able to obtain farm equipment through government support." It would also help us get better rates for the produce since we will be able to negotiate with the dealers because of the quantity."
There are 11 additional FPOs in the district. Meanwhile, the collector advised the farmers to join together to practise collective farming by pooling resources. "This will help agriculture become a more profitable venture." The state government has implemented a number of programmes to assist farmers in developing their livelihoods. We have carried out the schemes to the best of our abilities.
Sameeran stated that he had visited the land selected under the Kalaignar All Villages Integrated Agricultural Development Program, which aims to convert barren land into cultivable land. "A cluster of tiny farmers with barren land has formed at Aathiyur, near Pollachi."
The construction of two borewells to irrigate their 16 acres is now ongoing." Five additional similar clusters were established in Annur block at Aambothi, A Sengampalli, A Mettupalayam, and Vadavalli, and Periyanayakkanpalayam block at Nayakkanpalayam, he added.
