Bhubaneswar: Odisha aims at doubling the income of at least 1 lakh farmers by 2024 through Agriculture Producing Clusters(APC) with an investment of Rs 401.60 crre.
The second State-level coordination meeting of the APC under the chairmanship of agriculture production commissioner(APC) Pradipta Mohapatra discussed about the progress made in implementing the project. The project is being implemented by the State agriculture department in collaboration with the panchyati raj department, Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation and Pradan.
The meeting was told the project, which will be implemented in 12 districts of the State, will promote 650 farm producers groups and 30 farm producers companies besides 750 market coordinators. Organic farming would be encouraged in over 40% of the land that would be covered under the project.
The project is also aimed at enhancing the income of 40,000 small farmers through agriculture allied activities like dairy, poulty, goatery.
Mohapatra said that the small farmers of coastal districts too adopt the APC model as it has become success in highlands of trial dominated districts.
Agriculture principal secretary Sourav Garg, agriculture director M. Muthukumar and horticulture director Bijaya Ketan Upadhya were present.
