Objectives :
- Provide finance to micro-food processing units for capacity building and value addition.
- Focus on minor forest produce in tribal districts, encourage waste to wealth activities and help making it marketable.
- Promote the “One district one product” approach that focuses on specialization, better processing, marketing and export. The GIS ODOP digital map of India provides details of ODOP products of all the states to facilitate the stakeholders.
- Enhance compliance with food quality and safety standards.
- Special emphasis on women entrepreneurs and aspirational districts.
What are Farmers Producer Organizations?
- A voluntary body registered and administered by farmers(small, marginal and landless), to focus on activities in the agriculture and allied sectors. FPOs are registered as cooperative societies. A bunch of farmers come together to form a group.
- Farmer producer companies are emerging as effective FPOs to cater to aggregation needs of farmers at the grassroots level. They are registered under the companies act, 1956.
Why do we need FPOs?
Indian agriculture comprises of 85% small & marginal farmers, with landholdings of less than two hectares. So, a collective organization becomes essential to bring their struggles to a larger platform & benefit them.