• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in consultation with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has finalized the products for One District One Focus Product (ODOFP).

    • The products have been identified from agricultural, horticultural, animal, poultry, milk, fisheries and aquaculture, marine sectors for 728 districts across the country.

    • The list of products has been finalized after taking inputs from the States/UTs and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

    • These products will be promoted in a cluster approach through convergence of the Government of India schemes, to increase the value of the products and with the ultimate aim of increasing the income of the farmers.

    • These identified products will be supported under the PM-FME scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries which provides incentives to promoter and micro-enterprises.

    • Fruits have been identified for 226 districts, the highest in the list while vegetables for 107 districts and spices for 105 districts are at the second and the third position in the list. The chief food crop paddy has been identified for 40 districts while wheat for 5 districts.

    • The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will support ODOFP from its ongoing centrally sponsored schemes such as MIDH, NFSM, RKVY, PKVY.

    • The implementation of ODOFP by State Governments will benefit farmers and provide support for realizing the expectations of value addition and subsequently enhancing agricultural exports.

    • Under the Rs 10,000-crore FME scheme, launched last year, two lakh micro-enterprises are targeted to be assisted with credit-linked subsidy over a five-year period to help create infrastructure and marketing of these ODOFP products.

    • The unorganised food processing sector has nearly 25 lakh units (66% located in rural areas), which contribute to 74% of the total employment in the sector, while the remaining 25% work in the organised industries.

    • The government has already set a target to achieve $60 billion agri exports by FY22.

    • The products for various districts are:

    1. Paddy - 40 districts

    2. Wheat - 5 districts

    3. Coarse cum Nutri Cereals- 25 districts

    4. Pulses - 16 districts

    5. Commercial crops - 22 districts

    6. Oilseeds - 41 districts

    7. Vegetables - 107 districts

    8. Spices - 105 districts

    9. Plantation - 28 districts

    10. Fruits - 226 districts

    11. Floriculture - 2 districts

    12. Honey - 9 districts

    13. Animal husbandry/Dairy products - 40 districts

    14. Aquaculture/Marine fisheries - 29 districts

    15. Processed Products - 33 districts.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)