‘Nabard to play key role in Odisha’s farm growth’

As agriculture is the mainstay of the State's economy contributing significantly to the GSDP and where more than 70 per cent people depend for their living, organisations like the Nabard can do wonders by turning around these huge potentials for State's development, said Union Minister of petroleum, Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Dharmendra Pradhan here on hursday. Pradhan was speaking as chief guest at the 37th Foundation Day of the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard) held here.

He called upon the Nabard and other bankers to refinance crop loan and increase the quantum of term loan so that commercial banks will come forward to create more assets like irrigation infrastructure, warehousing and cold chain development.

"It is good that the Nabard has almost reached 100 per cent growth i.e. increased its investment in Odisha from Rs 8,046 crore to Rs17,195 crore by investing in rural infrastructure development, but it can do more by connecting 1,600 rural haats,450 mandis and 66 RMRC to E-NAM, the digital marketing network, to connect and sell farm produce. The Government has started work to connect 22,000 haats and 6,000 mandis of the country," informed Pradhan.

 He further added, "Odisha will be largely benefitted as on the PM's intervention, China has agreed to import non-Basumati rice from India because such rice in huge quantity is being produced in Odisha. Apart from these my Ministry has started work to convert biogas as bio-CNG under 'Gobardhan Scheme laid in the Union Budget."

While placing the achievements of the bank, Nabard CGM KC Panigrahy said," Our greatest strength has been the formation of 325 farmer producer organisations. All of them have been registered under the Companies Act and they are performing significantly in value addition and marketing of agriculture produce". According to him, the Nabard in Odisha is the only regional chapter which got the UN's Green Climate Fund. “Besides, we have also got special funds from National Adaptive Fund on Climate Change which is unique in country,” he said.

The Nabard has played a pivotal role in SHG bank linkages, promotion of Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), developing rural connectivity, natural resources management and development of rural and cooperative banks through its credit, development fund and supervision of bank’s activities.

The Nabard has also constructed eight bridges over the Mahanadi and contributed for skill development of farming communities, besides promoting nonfarm activities like handlooms, stone carving, wood works and Dokra.

More than 20 farmers producer companies, SHG s, JLGs, NGOs and banks were felicitated during the event by Minister Pradhan.

Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion were the Regional Manager, RBI, the CGM, SBI, the GM, Nabard, apart from Sahabhagi Vikash Avian president Jagadish Pradhan and KP Majhi of Pashcima Odisha Women PCL etc.