Mandi, Mar 2 (IANS): The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi and Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) Society will collaborate on setting up farmer producer organisations in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, it was announced on Monday.

For this, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 35 lakhs to IIT Mandi and EWOK Society to promote and set up three farmer producer organisations in three years.

Also, IIT Mandi will provide its expertise in tourism, rural marts run by self-help groups, engineering solutions for farm-friendly equipment, research on the impact of climate change on agriculture incomes, among others.

EWOK Society Secretary Sandhya Menon said the EWOK has been working with the women and families in Kamand area in both farm and non-farm sectors to encourage women entrepreneurs at the grassroots.

In the farm-related activities, along with IIT Mandi Medicinal Plant Laboratory, some successful pilot programmes have been run for the past two years.

The support from NABARD has come at the right time in order to scale up these programmes to ensure a sustainable model in income generation for farmers in the long run in this area.