Odisha: APICOL signs two MoUs to promote agriculture entrepreneurship

To promote agriculture entrepreneurship and enhance the income of farmers in Odisha, a state-government undertaking has signed two agreements with an NGO and a central government agency.

Bhubaneswar (Odisha): The Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (APICOL), the state-government undertaking of Odisha, have signed two MoUs to boost agriculture entrepreneurship and enhance the income of farmers.

APICOL signed an agreement on Wednesday with Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), a national-level NGO, for implementation of agriculture entrepreneurship promotion scheme in tribal selected blocks of the state.

Odisha Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said, "Farmers of the 40 tribal dominated blocks will benefit immensely with better information and agriculture entrepreneurship. They will get a boost resulting in doubling of farmers income."

As per the agreement, the scheme will promote agriculture entrepreneurial ventures at the grassroots level in 40 tribal dominated blocks of 12 districts on a pilot basis.

The farmer producer organizations, farmer interest groups and small and marginal farmers will be assisted by agricultural entrepreneurs (AEs) for increasing farmers' income through enhanced production and productivity measures in agriculture and allied sectors.

APICOL signed the second MoU with CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC-SPV), a central government entity, for implementation of Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY) and to establish a number of commercial agriculture enterprises in the state.

It aims at providing assistance to farmers and agri-entrepreneurs through Common Service Centers (CSCs) in the filling up of the online registration process for them including uploading and viewing of documents in the web portalwww.apicol.nic.in.