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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-
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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. |
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that their investment loans are desired. Irrigation is not used, but
would have a substantial impact on productivity.'
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the Bank initially focused on apple rich districts of Baramulla and
Shopian with gradual and timebound extension of other objectives
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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.
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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. |
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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
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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
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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
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