The State Government Is Proving To Be Very Effective In Terms Of Providing The Farmers With Their Cost Price And Farmer
14 May 2021, Chandigarh: In order to increase the income of horticulture and vegetable growers in Haryana, the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana scheme launched by the state government is proving to be very effective in terms of providing the farmers with their cost price and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have made this task even easier.
Significantly, the state government aims to set up more than 1000 FPOs in the state. Some of these FPOs associated with tomato cultivation have played an important role in the journey of prosperity of farmers in the last two years.
Giving detailed information about this, an official spokesperson of the Horticulture Department said that the months of May and June in Haryana are very crucial in terms of sale of tomato crop, because during these months the tomato crop is ready for harvest and there is every possibility of falling crop prices in the mandis due to bumper harvest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has become even more serious.
He said that to overcome this situation last year, the Haryana Government, helped foster coordination between food processing companies and FPOs of the state with the help of Horticulture Department and Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium, Haryana, and arranged for the supply of 1000 tonnes of tomatoes. He said that when tomato prices in the mandis are less than the prescribed price, in that case the State Government is made to compensate the farmer for this difference of price under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.
The spokesperson said that in view of the tomato yield this year, the FPOs of the state have started supplying tomatoes to food processing companies. So far 3 FPOs of Yamunanagar district Namely, M/s Radour Farms Producer Company Ltd., M/s. Sadhaura Kisan Producer Company Ltd. and M/s Sili Kalan Farms Producers Ltd. have been supplied with with more than 450 tonnes of tomatoes. This work is not possible for the farmer at his own level whereas it can be easily done through FPOs.
In this regard, the directors of the three FPOs of Yamunanagar said that if the FPOs did not have the cooperation of the Horticulture Department and Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium, Haryana it would not possible to supply such a large quantity of tomatoes during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the farmer’s own level, income from the sale of tomato also cannot meet his farming expenses.
He said that in regard to supply of tomatoes to FPOs officers from the department are also visiting the fields from time to time so that FPOs do not face any problems. For more information related to the sale and maintenance of crops, farmers and FPOs can contact the District Horticulture Officer of their district.