Pratapgarh's amla, Malihabad's mango set for ODOP-like pitch

LUCKNOW: The one district one product (ODOP) programme launched by chief minister Yogi Adityanath found echo in the Union Budget presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.
The finance minister announced that the programme would be implemented in the horticulture sector to enhance the income of fruit cultivators and farmers. The government will identify horticultural produce of each district of the country and brand it at the national and international levels.The idea of ODOP was introduced by Yogi to promote handicraft and traditional products of each district of the state and generate employment.
The Centre's announcement would make a big impact in Uttar Pradesh, whose horticultural product such as mango, guava, amla, mentha and potato are on the top in production nationally. However, due to lack of marketing and technological support, these items are consumed locally, without giving much profit to farmers. In the peak season, supply creates a glut in the market. UP produces 24% of mango in India, 17% guava, 33% potato and 50% mentha-making it the number one producer of these products in the country. With 17% vegetables, it is the second highest producer on that list.
As a result, the scheme would benefit cultivators and farmers in UP, said director of the state horticulture department BK Sharma.
In UP, Malihabad produces about 5 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes, with Dussehri forming the biggest chunk. The state's mango belt runs over a 2.7 lakh hectare area. Dussehri is in huge demand in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries.
"High air freight affects export. If government gives us a freight subsidy, we can export to more countries," said president of All India Mango Growers' Association Insram Ali. Overall, UP produces 45 lakh tonne of mangoes every year, second only to Andhra Pradesh. Apart from Dussehri, Chausa, Langda, Safeda and Lakhnauva varieties are also produced in UP.
Similarly, for amla growers in Pratapgarh, which is home to over 8,000 farmers, the ODOP scheme could be a game-changer. "We hope the benefit reaches farmers. Usually, schemes benefit everyone but amla growers are excluded on account of rules and regulations," said Ujjwal Somvanshi, an amla grower and functionary of Pratapgarh Amla Growers' Welfare Association.