Govt finalises products under scheme to increase farmer income, exports

New Delhi: The government on Saturday said it has finalised a list of products from agriculture and allied sectors that will be promoted in a cluster approach in 728 districts across the country as part of its effort to boost farm exports and enhance farmers income.

The agriculture ministry, in consultation with the food processing industries ministry, has finalised the products for ‘One District One Focus Product’ (ODOFP), an official statement said.

Inputs from the States/UTs and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have also been taken to prepare the list.

”The products have been identified from agricultural, horticultural, animal, poultry, milk, fisheries and aquaculture, marine sectors for 728 districts across the country,” the statement said.

The agriculture ministry said that these products will be promoted in a cluster approach through the convergence of central schemes, aiming to increase the value of the products and enhance farmers’ income.

Paddy will be promoted in 40 districts, wheat-5 districts, coarse cum nutri cereals – 25 districts, pulses 16 districts, commercial crops 22 districts, oilseeds 41 districts, vegetables 107 districts, spices 105 districts, plantation 28 districts, fruits 226 districts, floriculture 2 districts, honey 9 districts, animal husbandry/dairy 40 districts, aquaculture/marine fisheries 29 districts and processed products 33 districts.

These identified products will be supported under the food processing ministry’s PM-FME scheme, which provides incentives to promoter and micro-enterprises. Many products include the convergence of resources and approach from the other departments.

The agriculture ministry will support ODOFP from its ongoing centrally sponsored schemes such as National Food Security Mission.

”The implementation of ODOFP by State governments will benefit farmers and provide support for realizing the expectations of value addition and subsequently enhancing agricultural exports,” it said.

The list includes 25 districts of Arunachal Pradesh; 38 districts of Bihar; 28 districts of Chhattisgarh; 2 districts in Goa; 22 districts of Haryana; 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh, 24 districts of Jharkhand, 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir; 31 districts of Karnataka; 14 districts of Kerala; 52 districts of Madhya Pradesh; 36 districts of Maharashtra; 16 districts of Manipur; 30 districts of Odisha, 23 districts of Punjab, 4 districts of Sikkim, 36 districts of Tamil Nadu; 8 districts of Tripura, 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, and 18 districts of West Bengal.

As many as 13 districts each of Uttarakhand and Andhra Pradesh, 11 districts each of Delhi, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland; and 33 districts each of Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana have been included.

That apart, three districts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands; total three districts of ‘Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu;’ two districts each of Ladakh and Puducherry; one district each of Chandigarh and Lakshadweep are part of this exercise.