10,000 FPOs driving growth for small farmers, says Bandi Sanjay

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the Modi Government has invested ₹6,865 crore to establish 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs), enabling small and marginal farmers to collectively operate like large enterprises.

“Through FPOs, farmers can bring their produce to one place, store, process and sell it at better prices, thereby increasing their incomes. Over 5.6 million farmers have become members, and nearly 2.2 million of them are women,” he said.

The Minister, participating in an event organised under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), inaugurated a newly constructed farmers’ hostel and the “Farmers’ Value Addition & Food Processing Laboratory” at the Dr. Ramanaidu–Ekalavya Grameena Vikas Foundation Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Tuniki, Medak district.

Praising the Foundation, Mr. Sanjay Kumar called for greater promotion of chemical‑free organic farming. KVK has established two FPOs and is supporting an organic FPO in its adopted village through the Kisan Sarathi portal, which provides agricultural advisory services to nearly one lakh farmers in Medak district.

He said over 11 crore farmers are benefiting from the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, under which ₹6,000 is transferred annually in three instalments to farmers’ bank accounts. More than ₹3 lakh crore has been directly deposited so far.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, over ₹1.5 lakh crore has been paid in crop insurance claims, he said, adding that the scheme was implemented in Telangana since 2022 only. He noted that over 22 crore Soil Health Cards have been issued nationwide, including 1.1 crore in Telangana and three lakh in Medak district alone.

Around ₹1,400 crore has been spent to extend micro‑irrigation to nearly 5.5 lakh acres in Telangana under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). Nationally, ₹15,527 crore has been spent to provide irrigation to more than 62 lakh acres. Nearly 40 lakh farmers in Telangana have received Kisan Credit Cards with loans worth about ₹50,000 crore.

About ₹1.2 lakh crore has been spent on fertiliser subsidies and ₹1 lakh crore allocated under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to support warehouses, cold storage facilities and food processing units. The programme was attended by Medak MP Raghunandan Rao, ICAR Director General Mangi Lal Jat, District Additional Collector Nagesh, Foundation founder Bagayya and others.