Srinagar:Sagam Mushkbudji Farmers Producers Company Limited, an FPO established in the Sagam Area of Anantnag, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first FPO in the Union Territory to obtain an import-export license. The FPO, initially incorporated as a Farmers Producers Company in July 2019, aims to promote the scented variety of rice and facilitate its marketing and sale nationwide.
The acquisition of an import-export license by the FPO now enables the Mushkbudji farmers to access global markets, resulting in better prices for their produce. Rouf Zargar, the District Development Manager of NABARD, stated that corporates and bulk buyers prefer conducting business with FPOs rather than individual farmers. FPOs have the advantage of trading commodities in large quantities, as they represent hundreds of farmers and minimize the involvement of intermediaries. Additionally, the Mushkbudji rice has been listed among the nine products of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh to receive Geographical Indication (GI) tagging.
Since its inception, the FPO has received focused attention from the Agriculture department, benefiting from various FPO-specific schemes. Moreover, the district administration is currently in the process of allocating land to the FPO for the establishment of a rice mill in the Sagam area.
The FPO currently boasts a membership of over 200 Mushkbudji farmers who sell a significant portion of their produce directly through the FPO. The FPO recently participated in the Gulf Investment summit held in Srinagar, attracting the interest of investors from the UAE and other countries.
