NABARD 45th Foundation Day Celebration Significant contribution from the government and NABARD to agriculture, women empowerment and rural development – Ritesh Kumar Singh.

Bengaluru, July 17, (Karnataka News):
The contribution of the government and NABARD to the economic growth of the rural areas of the state and the modernization of the agricultural sector is immense. This relationship will further strengthen in the coming days and more development projects will be implemented. Ritesh Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Finance Department, called for joining hands with the state government in more innovative projects in the future.
Speaking at a special programme organised as part of the 45th Foundation Day celebrations of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), he recalled the 25-year long and successful partnership between NABARD and the state government.
It is proposed to increase the current grant of Rs. 2,000 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to Rs. 3,000 crore, and NABARD and the Finance Department are working jointly in this regard.
He said that it is commendable that NABARD is providing assistance to commercially viable and sustainable projects through various government agencies like KIADB, not just limited to traditional government projects.
He opined that teamwork and mutual collaboration are more important in today’s times than just individual intelligence.
The contribution of women farmers at the rural level and the role of NABARD in the overall development of the state are significant. He thanked the NABARD board of directors for recognizing the achievements of women farmers who had arrived from various districts and their active role in the rural economy.
Regional Cooperative Society Registrar M.V. Venkatesh said that NABARD is making a significant contribution to rural agriculture, rural prosperity and strengthening institutions in rural areas. Describing NABARD as a friend, philosopher and mentor to the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, he said that NABARD has played a major role in credit distribution, FPO, JLG and promotion of self-help groups.
The cooperative sector has grown strongly in the western parts of the country, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. GDP growth has supported the development of the cooperative sector. NABARD is helping in the computerization of primary agricultural cooperative societies, from implementing ERP modules to using technology. Diversification has been initiated by providing more than 25 different services in about 250 PAX societies across Karnataka. He said that PAX society in Kota, Udupi district, has become a model for the entire country by doing a turnover of about Rs. 1000 crore.
Farmers know how to grow crops, but finding markets and adding value is a challenging task. For this, an agreement has been signed with CFTRI. For the comprehensive development of farmers, production costs should be reduced and profit margins should increase. For this, value addition and increasing the shelf life of products are necessary. He said that NABARD is making a major contribution in this regard.
Apart from Rajasthan, Karnataka is the second most drought-affected state in the country. NABARD is making a significant contribution through the ‘Reward’ scheme for watershed development in such areas. NABARD is working hard to achieve the development of rural India, economic security and the dream of a developed India by adopting the best technologies. This is a driving force to increase the income of every rural family, he said.
Dr. Surendra Babu, Chief General Manager, NABARD, said that the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has made a great contribution to rural development and agriculture sector in the last four decades. NABARD had a balance sheet size of Rs 4,519 crore in its initial period, which has now increased to Rs 11 trillion.
He said that in the last year, financial assistance of Rs 32,517 crore was provided to various banks in the state. Out of this, Rs 4,700 crore was allocated for infrastructure development. With the support of NABARD, 46,000 km of rural roads and about 59,000 meters of rural bridges have been constructed in the state.
The efficiency of over 6,300 primary agricultural cooperative societies in the state is being increased by digitizing them. NABARD has given special priority to biogas plants in Bagalkot and Belgaum districts, and solar and wind power projects in Kalaburagi and Raichur districts, he said.
The establishment of agro-processing units is being encouraged in the Kalyan Karnataka region, for which five units have already been inaugurated. The bank will continue its commitment to improve the lives of the rural people and strengthen the economy. He said that the projects implemented by NABARD in the sectors of agriculture, irrigation, education and health have contributed to the overall development of rural Karnataka.
CFTRI Director Dr. Giridhar Parvatham said that CFTRI and NABARD, two giants in the field of agricultural technology and rural finance, have joined hands and written a new prelude to the economic empowerment of the rural areas. This important alliance was announced at a special program organized at the CFTRI premises in Mysore as part of the 45th Foundation Day celebrations of NABARD. He expressed confidence that this historic agreement will lead to a big revolution in the agricultural sector.
While NABARD provides the necessary financial support to rural enterprises, CFTRI will provide complementary scientific and technical solutions. This fusion of finance and technology will further strengthen the agriculture sector, he said.
The ‘Farmer Training and Agricultural Inculcation Centre’ project, which is being implemented in 7 districts of Kalyan Karnataka, is being implemented with the support of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s MP fund. NABARD and CFTRI are jointly providing technical assistance, modern machinery and training to the farmer producer organizations here.
Although India is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world, it is suffering a lot due to lack of value addition and processing. The food processing sector currently contributes 12.9% to the country’s GDP, and more than 75% of the rural-centric technologies developed by CFTRI will help in increasing this further, he said.
Dr. Surendra Babu, Chief General Manager, NABARD Karnataka, and Dr. Giridhar Parvatham, Director, CFTRI, Mysore, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote food technology and processing in rural areas.
A short film on ‘Gramodhyma’, a skill development initiative of NABARD, organized in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation, was screened. A short film on initiatives taken by NABARD to combat climate change was also screened.
Handbooks on the role of NABARD in the cooperative sector of Karnataka and investment cost of agriculture and allied activities were released.
Progressive women farmers who had arrived from different parts of the state and NABARD District Development Managers who had achieved outstanding achievements were felicitated at the ceremony.
The program was attended by Secretary, Department of Economic Reforms Dr. Vishal R., Regional Director, RBI Mrs. Kaya Tripathi, SBI Chief Manager Juhi Smitha Sinha, NABARD General Manager Dr. Ashutosh Kumar, NABARD Deputy General Manager Smt. Tarannum Azmi and other senior officials were present.