The first ‘Raitha Siri’ store in the state was inaugurated.
Unified branding system for farmers’ products on the Nandini model: Minister P.M. Narendra Swamy
Bangalore, 24 September (Karnataka News):
Agriculture Minister P.M. Narendra Swamy said that a unified branding system has been developed on the Nandini model to facilitate the sale of farmers’ products in the state, national and international markets.
Speaking at the inauguration of the first store of the unified brand “Raithasiri” of the Karnataka State Farmers Producers’ Organisations Cooperative Society held in Malleshwaram today, he said that when small and marginal farmers in the state had to bring their produce to the market, middlemen used to take advantage of it. But now, farmers themselves have established FPOs and have found a new system to reach consumers directly, and this innovative effort is benefiting farmers under the principle of cooperation.
The state government had announced Rs. 10 crore in the budget for 2023-24. Accordingly, the association was registered under the Karnataka Cooperative Societies Act in February 2024. Later, after the brand “Raithasiri” was approved, the website raithasiri.co.in was launched. He said that the Centre of Excellence for Farmer Producers’ Organizations is providing guidance to the association as an advisory body.
Farmers’ own organization Currently, 162 farmer producer organizations are members of the association, through which more than 52,000 farmer farmers are part of the association. In the coming days, almost all the farmer producer organizations of the state will be included as members. The association will act as a coordinating force of farmer producer organizations, to solve the challenges of marketing, capital, licensing and infrastructure faced by them.
The main objective of “Raithasiri” is to expand the business of farmer producer organizations and make them self-reliant as well as profitable organizations. Farmer Producer Organizations will be strengthened as a major way to achieve rural prosperity in the state. He said that this is a historic moment for the farmer producer organizations in the state.
The program was attended by Commissioner of the Watershed Development Department and President of the Karnataka State Farmers Producers’ Organizations Cooperative Association, Upendra Pratap Singh, Managing Director Smt. Gayatri and other dignitaries.
