For the first time, nearly 29 MT of potatoes from Aligarh were exported to Guyana in South America through Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO).
The state government is making efforts to double the income of farmers by removing middlemen, and farmers are becoming exporters through FPOs.
Deputy general manager of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) at Varanasi regional office, CB Singh on Wednesday said the 29 metric tons of potatoes from Aligarh were exported to Guyana in South America for the first time through sea route.
He said the potatoes for this consignment were purchased from local FPO of Aligarh and packed in cold storage. “Keeping in view the possibilities of potato production in this region, APEDA is taking the initiative to set up an agricultural export center for potatoes which will open employment opportunities for farmers of Aligarh and nearby areas,” he said.
He said that the government has been organizing several programmes on training and capacity building from time to time, focusing on promoting FPOs, and farmers’ groups toward international trade. Following the meaningful initiative of APEDA in Uttar Pradesh, Komalika Farmer Producer Company Limited has been directly linked to exports.
According to him, the state government has also made financial assistance available to the FPOs in order to improve their infrastructure’s capacity. The APEDA is formulating strategies for country-specific export promotion programs and organizing International buyer-seller meets for European Union countries, Middle East and South East Asian countries to tap export potential in new markets, he added.