Bhubaneswar: The Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, Tuesday launched the Agriculture Production Cluster Yojana (APCY) in the state.
With an investment of Rs 401.60 crore, agriculture production clusters would be set up on highland areas of in 40 backward blocks of 12 districts of the state with an aim to provide opportunity to 1 lakh farmers to earn their livelihood on perennial basis.
The state government signed an tripartite MoU with Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF) and PRADAN, an NGO, for the purpose. The MoU signing ceremony was attended by state agriculture minister Pradip Maharathi, agriculture production commissioner Gagan Dhal, principal secretary, Sourav Garg, horticulture director Bijaya Ketan Upadhya, State Livelihood Mission director SR Pradhan, CEO of BRLF Premthes Aambastha, and PRADAN’s executive director D. Narendranath.
The Yojana would be funded by the State Livelihood Mission(Rs70.06 crore), APICOL(Rs17.80 crore) BRLF and PRADAN (Rs 20.34 crore, and agriculture and allied sectors Rs 293.40 crore .
