CGM NABARD inaugurates Office of FPO at Budhal; hands over registration certificate to the board.

GNSONLINE RAJOUR

SAYED ZAHID 

BUDHAL MARCH20 :- Dr. A.K Sood, CGM NABARD inaugurated the office of Budhal Walnut & Horti Producers Cooperative Ltd. today at Budhal, Rajouri in presence of members of the FPO and officials from various departments. He also handed over the Registration Certificate to the Board Members of the FPO during the event.

Speaking on the occasion, CGM NABARD informed that this is the fourth FPO promoted by NABARD in district Rajouri under Central Sector Scheme for which JKDCUL has been appointed as CBBO. He highlighted the support being extended by NABARD to the FPOs under ongoing central sector scheme and various benefits that will accrue to the farmers of the region after coming under the fold of FPO. He also requested the farmers and PRI members to make all out efforts in making this scheme successful so that benefits can be accrued at grass root level which will ultimately result in increase in income of the farming community.

Earlier addressing the gathering Sh. Kanav Sharma, DDM, NABARD informed in detail about the objectives of FPO scheme and benefits being offered by the Government under the scheme for the farming community. He also informed that the area has huge potential for marketing of walnut crop and the FPO can play an important role in marketing of walnut and development of its value chain which will ultimately result in increase of walnut farmers. He also assured all support from NABARD and other line departments to the recently promoted FPO.

The president of the Board Mohd. Farooq moderated the event and thanked NABARD for this initiative and assured on behalf of the members their support for making this scheme successful in Budhal. He also presented a brief about profile of the block and various challenges being faced by the farmers of the region in marketing of their produce. He expressed hope that after coming under the ambit of FPO, a lot of their issues will be addressed in due course.

The vote of thanks were presented by Sh. Vikrant Dogra, CEO, JKDCUL (CBBO for the FPO). He thanked NABARD for promoting this FPO which will prove a milestone for the farmers of the Budhal region and lead to their economic upliftment.

Others present on the occasion included Sanjeev Bhasin, LDM-Rajouri. Mohd. Shahin, Member Kissan Advisory Board, Shamim Akhtar, BDC-Budhal, Sunil Choudhary, Sarpanch-Bhawani and local PRI members of block Budhal, Gulzar Qazi, Pervaiz Malik, Younas Choudhary, Abdul Aziz Naik, Layaqat Ali and Sanjay Kumar.