By Our Correspondent
ANGUL/BHUBANESWAR: At least 2 Agro Service Centres for Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO) will start functioning soon at Angul under Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY), in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode for the first time in Odisha. JSP Foundation will provide Rs 30 lakh while the state government will provide subsidy of Rs 18 lakh for establishment of the 2 Agro Service Centres.
For the said purpose, JSP Foundation, the CSR arm of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) and Odisha Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment of Department have joined hands to establish these 2 Centres at Angul.
ADM (General) Angul Rajanikant Swain handed over the go-ahead letters to the beneficiaries and Board members of the 2 FPOs — Kalapata Farmers Producers Company Ltd at Village Tubey and Pitabali Farmers Producers Company Ltd at Village Derjang – at an event at Collector’s Conference Hall, Angul Collectorate.
The FPOs are being established under FPO project of NABARD in the area of Watershed Development Project which were jointly developed through convergence of NABARD and JSP in PPP mode earlier.
The programme aims to support farmers through farm mechanisation for sustainable increase in production, productivity and access to cash income for farmers’ families.
The Agro Service Centres will be supported with farm machineries like tractor, power tiller, power reaper, axial flow thresher, rotavator, cultivator, power weeder, power sprayer, brush cutter with a permanent shed to keep the equipment safely. The machinery will be used on custom hiring basis by farmers, paying a nominal amount to be charged by the FPO, which will use this amount for maintenance and replacement.
