Rural mart for FPC inaugurated

TENGAPANI, 7 Apr: NABARD General Manager (GM) Partho Saha inaugurated a rural mart here in Namsai district, in the presence of NABARD DDM Kamal Roy, farmer-producer company (FPC) Namsai Organic Spices & Agricultural Products Producer (NOSAAP) Co Ltd’s CEO Chau Athina Chauhai and others, on 7 April.

Funded by the NABARD’s Itanagar-based regional office, the mart will be run by the NOSAAP.

“NABARD assisted this marketing outlet to NOSAAP to provide a platform to the farmers and SHG members to sell their farm and off-farm products. It will serve as a link between the handloom and handicrafts producers and the customers, thus aiding generation of income and employment at the grassroots level,” the NABARD stated in a release.

The NABARD GM also flagged off a Bolero pickup van and a bike purchased with grant assistance from the NABARD under the Integrated Tribal Development Project. “The vehicles will help in better implementation and monitoring of the project being executed by NOSAAP for natural resource management,” the NABARD said.

The project will provide alternative livelihoods to 200 tribal families in the district and aims at weaning away the farmers from poppy cultivation, it said.