Mashar Velapurath Throws Light on Agricultural Concerns, FPO Call Center Initiative

Mashar Velapurath, the managing director of AFC India Limited, made an appearance as the guest of honor at the KJ Chaupal session in New Delhi on Wednesday. The latter discussed a variety of agricultural concerns during the event, including FPO Call Centers, a farmer helpline initiative by Krishi Jagran and AFC India Limited.

While addressing the session, he said that perhaps the FPO Call Centers will be a reality soon, the two organizations which have partnered for the initiative, share a common ground of interest, i.e. the social and economic welfare of farmers, and have been working toward achieving the same for past several years despite working separately.

Our efforts in the agriculture sector will only be regarded as thoughtful and important when we are clear about the vast array of farmer challenges that needs to be addressed, he added.

"AFC India has been working for the welfare of farmers and those related to the agriculture industry for the last 54 years, and initially we started our journey as an e-clothing brand along with various public sector banks and NABARD", he continued.

He further said that the government-deemed organization has been financing half-a-dozen of minor irrigation and water resources projects for the past few years.

"We have now entered into many direct implementation programmes and other government flagship schemes such as Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP), Organic Farming Project, and more importantly the Farmer Producer Organization", he stated.

Talking of the FPO Call Center initiative, he said that about 24 centers are currently operational in 5 states.

"While we have a vast amount of cultivable land in the country, yet over 60 per cent of the population is dependent on the farming sector only, which makes it a mere land availability of 2 hectare per individual. This is far less if compared with the other nations wherein the land availability per person is nearly 500 hectares at an average", he said.

"So in order to make the farming economically profitable in India, the primary need is to provide the needful and precise information and awareness to the small-scale crop producers", he added.

And hence, the FPO Call Center came into existence to bring a solution to multiple issues, be it related to agriculture, horticulture, agri-business, and more, Velapurath said.

On the occasion, Founder & Editor-in-chief of Krishi Jagran, MC Dominic said that the objective behind FPO Call Center is to educate and promote the concept of FPOs for the betterment of farming society and ultimately for our country.

It is true that many FPOs has been formed in the country, but now is the time to have a proper and sustainable functioning of these FPOs, he added.