The Hindu Business Line : Bank of Maharashtra counselling for farmers

Mangalore, Jan. 2 Weekends are the time to relax for most officials. But not for a couple of officials in Bank of Maharashtra and for farmers in Amaravati and Yavatmal districts. It is the time for them to discuss issues related to better agriculture practices where experts provide technical inputs on various aspects.

In its endeavour to provide counselling to the farmers in Vidharbha region (which grabbed headlines for farmers’ suicides), Bank of Maharashtra thought of going beyond extending financial assistance to them, and it came out with an idea of providing technical inputs to farmers in the drought-affected Vidharbha region.

The bank initiated the process of organising counselling programmes for farmers in Amaravati district of Maharashtra in May 2007.

Mr M.D. Mallya, Chairman and Managing Director of Bank of Maharashtra, told Business Line that the bank, in association with an NGO, started this innovative programme.

Offering inputs

“We started giving counselling to farmers on their requirements not only in terms of financial support, but also providing inputs in terms of cropping pattern, soil conditions and other technical inputs,” he said.

The bank, in association with the NGO, conducts these programmes every Saturday and Sunday in various parts of Amaravati and Yavatmal districts. Agriculture experts give technical inputs to these farmers, numbering around 100 to 150 in batch, on various matters. The programme educates farmers not to depend on a single crop but also encourages them to take up some ancillary activities.

The response for the programme is good and people from the areas where such programmes are conducted are happy. They now want many more such programmes, Mr Mallya said.

“These are not necessarily our bank customers,” he said, adding that nearly 3,000 farmers in the district have benefited by this programme since May 2007.

The bank, which has almost completed the programme in Amaravati and Yavatmal districts, is planning to organise such meets in Akola, Vashim, Buldhana and Vardha districts.

He termed the success of the initiative as a fruit of team effort by the bank and the NGO concerned.

Though started as an experiment to counsel the drought-affected farmers in Vidharbha region, the bank is now planning to have a sort of training centre for farmers on an ongoing basis.

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