Port Blair, Mar 17: The training programme on Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) organised by NABARD, Andaman and Nicobar RO, in co-ordination with BIRD, Mangalore at Hotel Sun Sea Resort, Middle Point concluded on Wednesday. The Director, CIARI, Dr S. Dam Roy was the chief guest of the valedictory function. The training programme was attended by 54 participants with over-whelming response from bankers, NGOs, Government Departments, CIARI, KVKs, A&NStCB-PDC Cell, and farmers.
In his address, the Director, CIARI advised to use the knowledge gained by them during the training programme at field level and insisted them to implement the promotion and nurturing of FPO in their respective villages immediately. While advising the farmers the avenues available for promotion of FPO in areas like vegetable, fishing and mushroom cultivation, he also assured the support of CIARI to farmers on the subject matter. The participants were given certificates for their participation by Dr S. Dam Roy.
Mr Hemant Songadkar, General Manager/OIC, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Office, while congratulating the participants for having taken keen interest in the training programme, mentioned about the capacity building initiatives taken by NABARD so far in A & N Region, and requested the participants to disseminate the same in their respective villages and assured every possible support from NABARD in all the initiatives being taken by the farmers in implementing the formation of FPOs. Shri Songadkar also informed the participants that CIARI has been identified as Resource Support Agency (RSA) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) as Producer Organisation Promoting Institutions (POPIs) by NABARD.
Representatives from banks, NGOs, PACS, farmers highly appreciated the conduct of the training programme and thanked NABARD for the knowledge gained by them. Some representatives mentioned the need for conducting such training programmes specifically in rural areas to create more awareness among the farmers about promotion and nurturing of FPO. The training programme was co-ordinated by Mr Anil Kulkarni, and Dr.K.S.S. Somajayajulu, Deputy General Managers from Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Mangaluru. Dr.K.S.S. Somayajulu, Faculty Member, Bankers Institute of Rural Development, Mangaluru proposed the vote of thanks.
