|
The study revealed that 75 % of apple growers get their financing from traders and are often unaware that its effective cost of financing from moneylenders ranges from 36 % to 54 %.
ESP had interviewed farmers during the study which perceived that charges by the traders are similar to what a bank would charge – which averages 12.7 %. ' The farmers were not aware of bank financing opportunities , but think that there are high documentation requirements and hassles to get a bank loan .'
Precisely , the study findings revealed that apple farmers relied on moneylender for loans and ad-
|
free with minimum documentation . |
and awareness to the growers on the |
vances . During the study it was |
In essence , the project envisages |
use of fertilizers , pesticides , methfound |
that majority of the farmers |
complete institutional financing of |
ods of pruning , irrigation , control of |
haven ' t any experience with bank |
the Apple crop to empower particu- |
rats and rodents , art of picking of aploans |
. ' The larger farmers rely on |
larly the grass root grower to ensure |
ple and packing etc . The growers are |
savings to finance their operations . |
that the state proceeds ahead to- |
also informed about scientific meth- |
Many farmers are slowly replacing |
wards becoming a rich horticulture |
ods of cultivation and use of technoltheir |
orchard stock , meaning that |
economy . While scanning the pro- |
ogy , which go a long way to enable |
superior trees could be planted , and |
ject , this correspondent found that |
them to grow more and save much . |
|
that their investment loans are desired . Irrigation is not used , but
would have a substantial impact on productivity .'
|
the Bank initially focused on apple rich districts of Baramulla and
Shopian with gradual and timebound extension of other objectives
|
According to data available , while conducting the project in dis- tricts of Shopian and Baramulla last year , the Bank was able to disburse a |
It ' s worth mentioning that agri- |
within project implementation pe- |
huge amount of Rs 363.58 Crores |
culture involves about 70 % of the |
riod of five years . Under the project |
among the 17336 growers of two |
population and contributes 23 % to |
special teams of Apple Project Man- |
districts . This financial exposure is |
the state domestic product ( SDP ). |
agers headed by Zonal coordinators |
included in the Bank ' s over-all expowere |
Apple accounts for 86 % by value of |
constituted , who worked on a |
sure of more than Rs 900 Crores in |
the state ' s horticulture output . J & K |
door-to-door awareness method . An |
the apple economy . |
state produces 77 % of India ' s total apple output and controls 49 % of land dedicated to apple cultivation . |
extensive awareness programme was launched to apprise the growers
about the schemes .
|
In terms of enablers / support structures , the reports reveal that be- sides financing the growers , the |
In the backdrop of this study , |
These teams comprising of 3 to |
bank has entered into a strategic tie- |
J & K Bank chairman and chief exec- |
4 officers literally camped in the vil- |
up with Agriculture University , horlages |
utive officer , Mushtaq Ahmad , immediately |
of the two districts and prepare |
ticulture department to guide grow- |
directed his management |
the profile of growers at their door- |
ers in better farming practices . This |
team to tailor appropriate interven- |
steps in these areas . |
has resulted in better yields . |
|
tions so that apple growers rescued
from exploitative noose of usurious
moneylenders and empowered sufficiently in terms of finance and guidance to realise the true potential of apple economy . In quick response to the directions , the bank conceived of and devised a comprehensive project under the title of ' J & K Bank Apple Project ' and revisited its Apple
finance scheme to make it hassle
|
Further , it was also revealed that these teams counseled the grass root growers individually , in groups and advised them in the matters of finance and other related issues to bolster their confidence and efforts towards self-reliance and sense of ownership of their crop .
Moreover , timely camps were organised in which some experts on horticulture imparted free training
|
Besides , various advisory ser- vices through experts are being ex- tended to the growers . Almost 3 lakh farmers are being enrolled for SMS services with strategic partners for daily inputs about weather , use of fertilizers , market situation etc .
Notably , in order to have a reli- able data base of apple growers , the bank has already completed the pro- filing exercise of apple growers
|