Enabling farmers

New policy on FPOs should improve returns

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare recently released a draft National Policy on Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), with the aim to consolidate existing FPOs and facilitate the formation and promotion of new ones. The intention is to create an ecosystem to facilitate income-oriented farming and improve the overall well-being of farmers. The idea must be welcomed because it will benefit about 25 million farmers in the country. The policy aims to facilitate the creation of seven-eight active primary-level FPOs in each of the 7,256 blocks in the country, with an average of 500 farmer-members per FPO.