The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Five hundred CIGs in Medak

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Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Five hundred CIGs in Medak

Staff Reporter

Sangareddy: Following the directions of the State Government to form Commodity Interest Groups (CIG) for crop wise extension, the district has identified seven crops for which it would have to form 500 groups by March-end.

Not less than 50 farmers would have to be enrolled as members for an area of 500 hectares in any one of the seven crops: paddy, maize, jowar, groundnut, sunflower, chillies and cotton.

The aim of the Government is to overcome the existing shortage of extension officers by entrusting the responsibility of extension activity, need assessment and liaison with the Government departments and ensuring timely supplies of inputs like fertilizers and seed.

Membership fee

Farmers from each block of 500 hectares who join the CIG would have to pay a membership of Rs. 50 each to keep the political influence out of the group.

The leader of the CIG who would be unanimously elected by the members would be paid a honorarium of Rs. 1,000 per month for sparing his time for other farmers of his group.

The Government hopes that the membership clause would strengthen the CIG financially, which could in future opt for a bank loan and use the fund as collateral like self-help groups. The groups would be given responsibilities like coordinating grounding of Government schemes and especially marketing of commodities. The groups have to take up value addition works like husking for better market price.

Ryots body offers help

Even though the selection of farmers and forming of interest groups is the subject of Agriculture and Horticulture departments, the Government is willing to take the help of farmers associations like Farmers Federation Market Yards, Krishi Vikas Kendra’s and Adarsa Rythulu in the formation of groups at the earliest just in time for kharif.

The Government is ready to pay up to Rs 17,000 each as expenses for travel and incidental charges for the selection committees. AP Farmers federation Medak unit has offered to take up the work in selective mandals.

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