The Minister was speaking on the 19th Annual General Board Meeting of the Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium(SFAC) under whose guidance the project will take place. The organization also handles the National Agricultural Market or the E-NAM which is an online trading platform for agricultural commodities. The SFAC was formed with a vision to attract private players to the agribusiness set up to provide farmers with an ecosystem where he could have the right to sell his crop to whomsoever he wants.
He further stated that in the first two phases of E-NAM over 1000 markets were linked and it had led to total business of over one lakh crore on the platform with over. It has registered 1.66 crore farmers and 1.30 lakh business since its formation.
The Minister said” previously SFAC used to form FPOs on the basis of existing schemes, but it is a matter of happiness today that Hon’ble Prime Minister has announced the formation of 10 thousand FPOs across the country which will give a boost to this task. FPOs must not only be formed but they must also achieve their objectives. Their responsibilities increase in ensuring that farmers gather in groups, hold discussions and get trained, increase their production, diversify their crops, and discuss ways of decreasing use of pesticides etc. Hon’ble Prime Minister has set the target of doubling farmers’ incomes. In between the problem of COVID appeared yet the pace of Ministry of Agriculture and farmers has not slackened”.
He also praised the SFAC for launching the Kisan Rath App that helped the farmers in the transportation of their produce during the lockdown.
