Dehradun: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan inaugurated ‘Apple Festival 3.0’, organized by NABARD-funded Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), at the NABARD Regional Office in Dehradun on Thursday.
Inspecting stalls displaying various apple varieties, kiwi, vegetables, and regional produce, the Chief Secretary emphasized transforming FPOs into self-sustaining, resilient institutions through continuous capacity building, training, and institutional handholding.
Key Takeaways:
- Infrastructure & Storage: Expanding cold storage networks, establishing traceability and monitoring systems, and streamlining organic certification processes.
- Market Integration: Enhancing procurement, marketing, and brand-building to secure fair market prices for local agricultural produce.
- Institutional Coordination: Strengthening synergy between NABARD initiatives and state government schemes to maximize farmer income.
Secretary S.N. Pandey and NABARD Chief General Manager Pankaj Yadav were present alongside senior officials.
