National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (Nabard) Karnataka Regional office during FY 2017-18 has sanctioned three climate-proofing projects with the assistance of Germany’s KfW.
MI Ganagi, Chief General Manager, Nabard Karnataka Regional Office, said Nabard had so far funded 30 projects with a total outlay of ₹14.18 crore, of which ₹3.42 crore was released during the year 2017-18 (cumulative release is ₹6.59 crore).
“Nabard has been funding climate-change related projects, especially those which impact agriculture production, productivity and livelihood of the farmers, particularly in dry land and rain-fed areas,” he said.
On climate-resilient agriculture, Ganagi said, under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), Nabard is implementing a project on the conservation and management of indigenous cattle and sheep in the wake of climate change’.
“So far, identification of elite cattle breeds — Deoni, Hallikar and Malnad gidda — and sheep breeds — Bellary, Deccani and Bandur — is being done. Nabard has sanctioned ₹24.22 crore to the Karnataka government, out of which ₹4.44 crore was released towards implementation,” he said.
During the FY 2017-18, ₹4.52 crore was sanctioned for five new watershed projects in the State towards the treatment of 6,441 hectares in six districts, taking the cumulative total to 309 watershed projects, covering 2.5 lakh hectares in 26 districts, involving grant-cum-loan support of ₹225.16 crore.
Strengthening FPOs
For long, Nabard has been instrumental in strengthening farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in Karnataka.
By supporting seed production, millet production marketing, and supporting NGO — Sahaja Organics, Ganagi said Nabard has been successful in the collectivisation of agricultural produce through the membership of producer organisations, which has been considered as one of the effective means of linking the small and marginal farmers/producers with the agricultural value chain for enhancing their net income.
In this direction, Nabard has promoted a total of 238 FPOs in Karnataka involving a grant of ₹15.38 crore. Out of the 166 FPOs, 110 had undertaken marketing initiatives, which include input business, 112 prepared business plans and 34 FPOs were credit linked availing loan to the tune of ₹5.30 crore. An amount of ₹2.58 crore was released during 2017-18 and the cumulative disbursement stood at ₹8.82 crore.
SDP implementation
In order to address the issue of sustainable development in the watershed programme, Nabard Karnataka is implementing 50 sustainable development projects (SDPs) with a grant of ₹4.96 crore for addressing the critical issues of transfer of technology, capacity building, credit intensification, etc, Nabard, so far, has disbursed ₹1.74 crore during 2017-18.
According to Ganagi, to provide sustainable livelihoods to tribal people, Nabard has sanctioned two tribal development projects in Ballari and Hassan district during 2017-18 with the grant of ₹4.99 crore, taking cumulative total to 28 projects with a total grant of ₹92.39 crore. About 23,400 tribal families have so far been benefited under the project. During the year, Nabard has released a grant assistance of ₹4.06 crore.