On the occasion of the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a honey processing unit at Devri Village in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh on July 2, Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), congratulated the millions of “Annadata” farmers for their sheer hard work, immense resilience and great contribution to keep the economy buoyant in tough times like the one we are going through. This information was shared in a press release issued by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).
The minister appreciated the efforts of NAFED for its laudable work to promote the cause of the farmers. NAFED was represented by Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Managing Director (MD), on the dais. The minister, on behalf of the Government of India, appreciated the efforts of all the officers present in the meeting from the MoA&FW, NAFED and other several government departments for their untiring efforts for the development of agriculture and the welfare of the farmers.
According to the release, the ceremony was organized by NAFED with the help of the National Bee Board, the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperative societies. It was also attended by Bharat Singh Kushwaha, a Madhya Pradesh Minister of State. Besides the farmers associated with the beekeepers' FPO and honey production. Pankaj Prasad Singh, MD of FIFA, and Rajbir Singh, MD of the National Horticulture Board were also present there. Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal, Additional Secretary Dr Abhilaksh Likhi and other important officers of the Ministry of Agriculture-Honey Mission, too, remained virtually connected.
While recognizing their contribution to our economy and nation-building, Tomar informed the audience that the government was particularly determined to see the income of the farmers raised over time. A large chunk of our population, including of course the farmers, he said, derived their livelihoods from agriculture, and therefore, without improvement in agriculture and, in consequence, prosperous farmers, the country could not make much progress. He assured that the government was seized of the issues of the farmers and would like to see the farmers come together and form their collectives like the FPOs to take control of farming, processing and sale of their produce.
As part of its mission, the minister said, NAFED, through its technical partner Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP), is promoting the FPOs on honey under the Central Sector Scheme of Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs anchored by the MoA&FW and supported by the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM).
The minister explained, said the release, that FPOs would help the small, marginal and landless farmers, and likewise, the beekeepers to gain better access to market, capital, and technology with the establishment of honey collection centres and processing units – all aimed at improving the earning and, in turn, the livelihood of the beekeepers of the area. He was optimistic that pure honey could reach not only Indian consumers but also people around the world through proper processing and market tie-ups.
The press release said that the minister expressed his happiness on behalf of the government that he had the opportunity to extend his best wishes to all the residents of the area and the beekeepers, particularly those associated with the FPO. He assured them of a future in which all possible facilities would be provided to them by the government in line with the latter’s mission of doubling the income of the farmers.
The minister conveyed his best wishes to the members of the FPOs of the beekeepers formed in collaboration with NAFED in other states as well, including those in Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. He declared that similar units would be set up there. About four to five thousand honey producers would be associated with these five honey FPOs who will get direct benefit from the project. About 60,000 quintals of honey to be extracted by the honey producers would be processed at the processing units and sold directly to the consumers with the help of NAFED, resulting in the rapid increase in income of the beekeepers, the minister stated.
The release said that the minister expressed hope to ensure, along with honey production, technical know-how and export of their products under the project for the overall development of the honey producers. He concluded by saying that the officials of the MoA&FW, NBHM and NAFED would ensure that the honey produced by the FPOs got a good market and reached the consumers in pure form while successfully organizing the unorganized beekeepers.