FPO office inaugurated in Larnoo Anantnag under CSS SCHEME

Srinagar, Nov 14: The Larnoo Vegetable Farmers Cooperative Ltd, a Farmer Producer Organisation established by NABARD under the Central Sector 10000 FPO scheme, has officially opened its office in Larnoo Anantnag. The inauguration was conducted by DDM NABARD Rouf Zargar, accompanied by Lead District Manager Parvez Mir.

During the event, DDM NABARD announced that this marks the third FPO supported and financed by NABARD in the Anantnag district under the Central Sector Scheme (CSS), in addition to the three existing FPOs established under the PODF Scheme.

The Larnoo Vegetable FPO, sanctioned by NABARD, is being executed on the ground by IGSSS, an NGO serving as the Capacity Building and Business Organization (CBBO) or Project Implementing Partner. He emphasized the importance of FPOs in terms of management and sustainable business practices. He also outlined the various forms of support provided by NABARD to FPOs, including access to licenses, seed banks, hiring centers, and processing facilities.

Furthermore, he urged farmers to actively participate in strengthening the FPO to ensure that benefits reach the grassroots level, ultimately enhancing the income of the farming community. Currently, the Larnoo FPO comprises 140 farmer members engaged in vegetable production, aggregation, and bulk sales. The FPO plays a crucial role in offering better prices and market access to local vegetable farmers, as well as facilitating direct access to essential inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.

Lead District Manager Parvez Ahmad provided a comprehensive overview of the credit support available to FPOs from banks. He discussed the various credit facilities that an FPO can utilize based on its working capital and term loan needs, as well as the coverage of NABARD's credit guarantee for FPOs.

The event was attended by bank officials, representatives from the Agriculture and Horticulture departments, the Project Officer from IGSSS, the board of directors of the FPO, and a significant number of farmers.