Kashmir Scan 05 | Page 20

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