NELLORE: Minister for Agriculture and Food Processing Kakani Govardhan Reddy on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) and Walmart Foundation’s secondary processing unit at Muddalapuram village in Anantapur district to support local farmers with new livelihood opportunities and market access facilities.
Kakani said Icrisat has been working with its project implementation partner Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC) to accelerate farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and smallholder member-farmers benefits, through interventions at various levels in the agricultural value chain.
These efforts are in line with Icrisat’s aim of turning dryland farming into a profitable enterprise through improved crop practices, post-harvest management and new food processing opportunities for smallholder farmers, he said.
Over 6,000 farmers holding small pieces of land are expected to benefit from the SPU, operated by Rythu Nestham Food Producer Company Limited, that has been established with the support from Icrisat and AFEC.
The new facility is equipped with five processing lines that will produce nutritious millet and pulse-based ready-to-cook formulations, a release added.The minister said the State government has introduced several initiatives like community-managed sustainable farming to make agriculture more viable and profitable.
Icrisat Director General Jaqueline d’Arros Hughes said the SPU, approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), will provide employment, reduce food wastage and promote food and nutritional security for the smallholder farmers.
“It will empower farmers from remote geographies to access fair commodity value chains and improve livelihoods,” he added.Anantapur Collector S Nagalakshmi said the unit will ensure improved livelihoods and better opportunities for smallholder farmers. She said it will bring synergy between agriculture and food processing industry in the district.