BHUBANESWAR: The State government has further expanded the special programme on promotion of Agriculture Production Clusters (APCs) to 14 more tribal blocks of four districts with financial support from district mineral foundation (DMF) funds.
The project aims to support 42,000 women farmers from 4,200 women SHGs (WSHGs) of 14 additional blocks by promoting 350 producer groups (PGs) and 14 producers companies (PCs). The other objective is to bring 14,000 acre under high value crops per annum, 2,800 acre under fruit tree plantation and create irrigation potential for 5,600 acre to double the income of about 70 per cent of the women farmers.
The project is estimated to cost Rs 222 crore of which, the DMF share will be over Rs 27.75 crore (Rs 1.91 crore per block). The balance Rs 196.29 crore will be mobilised from various departments and schemes for institution building and creation of livelihood infrastructures.
Currently, APC project is implemented in 72 blocks in 14 districts of the State targeting to cover 2,16,000 women farmers from about 21,000 WSHGs. Considering the focus of the State to diversify the crops, establishing market linkages and impacting livelihoods of WSHG members, the APC project is contributing significantly to the stated dimensions.
The State government launched the programme in 2018 as a collaborative initiative of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water departments in partnership with Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF), an independent society under the Ministry of Rural Development and Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN).
Of the 14 blocks to be covered under the project, 8 belong to Mayurbanj district, 3 in Koraput district, two in Rayagada district and one in Sundargarh district.In November 2021, an MoU was signed with the Sundargarh administration to cover 10 blocks of the district under this programme.
PROJECT COST
Estimated cost Rs 222 cr
DMF share Rs 27.75 cr
Other departments Rs 196.29 cr