A meeting of Agriculture Production and allied departments/Bankers was convened by Director Agriculture Jammu, Inder Jeet to review the progress of Kisan Credit Cards, NABARD projects and Formation of Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) at Krishi Bhawan Talab Tillo, Jammu here today.
Director Animal Husbandry, Jammu, Vivek Sharma, Director Sheep Husbandry, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Director Floriculture, K. S Chib, Joint Director (Inputs), Anil Nargotra, Deputy Director Central, S. Inderjeet Singh, Agriculture Economist, K. K. Sharma, DD Planning, Rishu Gupta, Assistant Director Horticulture, Varinder kumar, Chief Project Officer Fishries, Gopal Krishan, DGM NABARD, Rahul Shashni, ASM NABARD, Surinder Singh, Manager NABARD, G. R. Bhatacharya, Chief Manager (LB) J P Thappa, regional Heads PNB, SBI, JKB, JK Grameen Bank ,ASCO (I&P), Vikas Padha, DHO, Rajesh Pangotra and other senior officers of the Agriculture and allied departments attended the meeting.
Director Agriculture stressed for saturation of all PM-Kisan beneficiaries with coverage under KCC and activation of all inactive KCC accounts within ongoing “Kisan Pakhwada”. He impressed upon the participants to work with a mission mode to achieve 100 percent coverage under the scheme with in stipulated time frame. The farmers engaged in horticulture, poultry, fishery and other allied sectors should also be included in KCC Scheme as per guidelines, he said. He further asked the participants to formulate a working procedure to enhance the farm credit by 2.5 times of existing level as per Government instructions.
Bankers apprised that KCC accounts under Agriculture Production and allied categories can be opened under one costumer ID and there is no need of Guarantee / Mortgage for KCC loan advances up to 1 .60 Lakh.
Later, a meeting with National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) officials was held to discuss the status of existing projects and formation / submission of new projects funded by this Apex Body facilitating Credit Flow in Agri sector.
It was informed that NABARD extends funding under 27 activities of Agriculture and allied sector (under Rural Infrastructural Development Fund) like Processing Units, Marketing Yards, Cold Storage, Threshing Floors, Laboratories and Animal Breading Centers etc.
All HODs were asked to summit DPRs of their concerned departments so that required funds may be released by NABARD at the earliest. Further, formation of Farmer Producers Organization (FPOs) under new guidelines was also discussed threadbare.
Director Agriculture Jammu emphasized on formation of Farmers Produces Organizations (FPOs) through promotion of local specialty crops, organic farming, production of quality seeds, diversified and Integrated Farming System for doubling the farm income.
DGM NABARD elaborated in detail regarding new guidelines for formation of FPOs in J&K. “FPOs will include Farmers Interest Groups ( FIGs) and Self Help Groups (SHG) categorized under Crop producers and Marketing societies following Crop/area specific approach. FPO will comprise of 300-500 Farmers in plain areas and 100-200 in hilly areas”, he added.