Guv push to bolster FPOs, boost farm innovation

Lucknow: Calling for greater institutional support to help farmers tackle challenges ranging from declining soil health to water scarcity, Governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday stressed the need to strengthen Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and ensure that agricultural innovations developed in laboratories reach farmers’ fields.Chairing a high-level review meeting on 'FPO-level agricultural challenges and institutional convergence' organised by NABARD in Lucknow, the governor said: “Scientific advancements in agriculture would be meaningful only when they effectively benefited small and marginal farmers through FPOs.”She further said that the technologies and innovations developed in agricultural universities and research institutions will be meaningful only when they effectively reach FPOs and small farmers.She emphasised on greater participation of women in agriculture, promotion of agri-entrepreneurship among rural youth and adoption of climate-resilient farming practices.The meeting brought together vice-chancellors of agricultural universities, scientists, policymakers, bankers and FPO representatives to discuss challenges affecting farm productivity and income.Experts highlighted excessive and imbalanced use of fertilisers and pesticides due to inadequate soil testing, declining groundwater levels and water scarcity, particularly in Bundelkhand, as major concerns.

Discussions also focused on declining soil fertility, shortage of farm machinery suitable for small landholdings and inadequate cold storage and supply-chain infrastructure for horticulture producers.NABARD officials said FPOs remained a key instrument for enhancing farmers’ incomes and strengthening agricultural value chains. Various institutions presented technology-driven solutions, with participants agreeing to directly connect research organisations with FPOs through problem-based interventions and knowledge transfer.NABARD has played a significant role in promoting collective farming in the state and has facilitated around 500 FPOs so far, officials said. During 2025-26, loans worth about Rs 4.8 crore were sanctioned to 118 FPO accounts, while the outstanding loan portfolio exceeded Rs 40 crore.The governor later visited FPO stalls set up on the NABARD campus and interacted with farmers and entrepreneurs.