Srinagar, Jun 05 (KNO): Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a review meeting of the Agriculture Production Department (APD) to assess the implementation and progress of various agricultural credit schemes being extended across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, APD, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma; Managing Director, HADP; Directors of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, while Deputy Commissioners participated through video conferencing.
Reviewing the performance of different credit-linked schemes, the Chief Secretary emphasized the need for giving a major push to agricultural financing, observing that accessible and affordable credit remains the most effective means of unlocking the vast potential of the agriculture and allied sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
He called upon the district administrations and banking institutions to pursue these schemes with greater ambition and commitment so that eligible farmers, entrepreneurs and producer groups are able to derive maximum benefit from them.
Highlighting the significance of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, Dulloo stressed the need for saturation of KCC coverage, timely renewal of existing accounts and prompt disbursement of repayment incentives to eligible farmers in accordance with the scheme guidelines.
He directed the concerned departments and banks to undertake extensive awareness campaigns regarding the incentives available under the scheme and the conditions required for availing them, enabling farmers to fully leverage the benefits of this credit scheme.
The Chief Secretary also called for expediting onboarding under the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) in areas where digitization of land records has been completed. He further directed the concerned authorities to ensure that these records remain updated in tandem with the ongoing generation of Farmer IDs across the districts.
Emphasizing the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in strengthening rural economies, Dulloo underscored the need for systematic capacity building of FPOs to make them credit-worthy and financially sustainable. He asked the department to designate mentors from among its trainers for handholding and guiding FPOs in enhancing their productivity and institutional capacities in line with banking requirements and credit norms.
The Chief Secretary reviewed district-wise and scheme-wise performance and urged districts to identify areas where progress remained below expectations and undertake focused interventions to improve outcomes and emerge as leading performers.
The meeting also reviewed the performance of Agricultural Term Loans and the activities generating the highest demand among applicants. The Chief Secretary directed banks to provide granular activity-wise data regarding the sectors attracting maximum credit demand and explore the possibility of incorporating such activities under the Mission YUVA framework as well.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, APD, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma presented a comprehensive overview of the agricultural credit ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted the uptake of various schemes among eligible beneficiaries, discussed the challenges being faced and outlined the roadmap for achieving the desired outcomes.
During the meeting, it was informed that Jammu and Kashmir presently has around 11.57 lakh active KCC account holders, of whom nearly 3.5 lakh farmers availed the prompt repayment incentive during the previous financial year. It was further revealed that 7.99 lakh beneficiaries have been provided smart cards, while 41 per cent coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was achieved during the Kharif season.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of major schemes including the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), HADP Credit, JKCIP Credit, National Livestock Mission (NLM) and PM-KISAN.
It was informed that under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, loans amounting to ₹680 Cr have been sanctioned, while ₹431 Cr has been disbursed among 392 beneficiaries across Jammu and Kashmir.
Similarly, under PMFME, 545 cases involving disbursement of ₹22 Cr were reported during 2024-25. Under HADP Credit, loans worth ₹302.78 Cr have been sanctioned, of which ₹172.69 Cr have been disbursed up to May 2026.
Regarding the National Livestock Mission, the meeting was apprised that 132 applications had been received, out of which 65 cases are presently under processing by banks, while 27 cases involving financial assistance of ₹12.23 Cr have been approved by the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
The review further revealed that under FPO financing, credit amounting to ₹604 Cr has been sanctioned in favour of 67 FPOs, of which ₹425 Cr has been disbursed among 54 FPOs across the Union Territory.
With regard to the flagship PM-KISAN scheme, the meeting was informed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has around 9.16 lakh active beneficiaries. It was further noted that land seeding has been completed in a substantial number of cases, while NPCI and e-KYC pendencies have been reduced considerably and are being addressed on priority.
The meeting was also informed that the forthcoming "Khet Bachao Abhiyan" would be extensively utilized as a platform to reach every village of the Union Territory and generate awareness among farmers regarding the benefits of various agricultural credit schemes, alongside dissemination of the campaign's broader objectives aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector—(KNO)