Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
and price their value-added products differently. SFAC has a role to play in
helping FPOs –business tie up. The government and industry (in PPP mode)
should develop clear branding and marketing strategies for the fruits, other
tree products and processed products from the riverine floodplains.
STRENGTHENING FPOs’ BUSINESS PROSPECTS: INDUSTRIAL
TIE-UPS, LOCAL SUPPLY OF PRODUCE AND MEGA FOOD PARKS
(HUB AND SPOKE MODEL)
When fruit cultivation on a large- scale along the rivers, across
multiple states, the production of fruits will increase manifold. Eighteen
percent of India’s fruit and vegetable production – valued at INR 133
billion – is wasted annually, according to data from the Central Institute
of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET). 30, 31 According to
a Planning Commission study, 5-39% losses are observed for different
horticultural produce in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. According to the same
planning commission report there are not many post-harvest scientists
trying to quantify or understand post-harvest challenges of horticulture
produce. 32 When we introduce fruits suddenly in such high volumes, one
can only imagine what can happen to the produce and producer.
Excess production of any produce leads to a slump in its market
price. There are plenty of news pieces describing how this produce is
simply dumped either in the field or in the market areas. 33 When the price
of the produce slumps to such an extent, it does not make economic sense
for a farmer to transport it to the market or, in a slightly better scenario,
take it back to the farm because the transportation charges only entail
more losses for him.
This makes it necessary for farmers to come together as an
organized group in the form of a FPO. Under an FPO setup farmers are
both shareholders and stakeholders. Farmer Producer Organizations
for the target areas will comprise of the riverine horticulture farmers.
The activities of pre-processing, grading and segregation can be done
by the FPOs. It has been the experience of many FPOs that local markets
fetch better prices than industrial tie-ups. It makes sense to have both
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