Скачать или смотреть Agriculture Production Cluster Program Odisha

Promotion of the Agriculture Production Cluster (APC) in Tribal Regions of Odisha is a collaborative effort by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Mission Shakti, Department of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF), and Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN). The project aims to create sustainable livelihoods for women SHG members in selected blocks of the State through various farm-based and livestock-rearing interventions. Sustainable and productive livelihood assets are also being created through converging relevant schemes from departments, to secure the livelihoods of the small and marginal women farmers in the project areas. Thus, emphasis on farmers’ skill development on the package of crop practices, farm mechanization, and creation of irrigation infrastructure, storage system, and marketing system at the local level are key highlights of the project.

Even though women contribute 47% of the labor force in agriculture, there is a need to increase their active involvement in various programs in the state. To address this dichotomy Government of Odisha initiated a special program, the Agriculture Production Cluster (APC) project, to double the income of women farmers by collectivizing them into Producer Groups and Producer Companies. The women farmers select climate-resilient crops with high market demand, small-holder suitability, agro-climatic compatibility, and practice synchronized production. The project aims to address the issues of vulnerable families by promoting livestock rearing. This is being supported by creating livelihood support infrastructures like irrigation, plantation, post-harvest management structures, and Goat and Backyard poultry sheds. The project also aims to reduce youth migration by nurturing agriculture entrepreneurs who provide doorstep services and support the farm-market ecosystem. To achieve sustainable and significant income on a scale, the project focuses on converging required factor conditions in a cluster mode through multi-stakeholder partnership.