Taking Rural Sikkim >>Forward

NABARD projects Rs. 486.86 crore credit potential for rural Sikkim, now for the banks to deliver

Bankers in Sikkim now have at their disposal a detailed checklist on Sikkim’s credit potential in agriculture and allied sectors for 2015-16. With the new financial year yet to begin, more pressure should be exerted on banks here to align their credit policies in sync with what the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development [NABARD] has projected for Sikkim in its State Focus Paper 2015-16 which was released on 05 February.
As per this document, the total priority sector credit potential for Sikkim stands at Rs. 486.86 crores, of which, the share of agriculture has been calculated at Rs. 176.37 crore. These are handsome figures, and the State Focus Paper provides a detailed breakdown on where and how the loans can be extended.

Sensitization on marketing Agri products for South farmers

GANGTOK, 09 Feb: A sensitization programme on Marketing of Agriculture/Horticulture produce of farmers of South Sikkim was organized by Indrakeel Farmers Club Federation S/W Sikkim, sponsored by NABARD Regional Office Gangtok on 06 February at SIRD Karfectar.
A press release informs that the programme was inaugurated by Addl. Director SIRD, HK Sharma while the president of the Federation, Meghraj Sharma, in his introductory speech informed that the programme was first of its kind after the inception of the Federation.
The District Development Manager, NABARD S/W Sikkim, JC Biswas in his keynote address highlighted the objective of the programme and also handled the ice-breaking session. The General Manager NABARD, PC Chaudhari trained the participants on production management and marketing through forward market, market analysis, on-line marketing system, cluster approach etc, the release informs.
The chairperson of the programme, Mr Sharma in his inaugural address asked the participants to put their thought into right action adding that theory is not valid unless it is put into positive action. He informed that SIRD can help farmers to store their perishable agro. /horti produce in their cold storage against nominal electric charges.
The technical session was handled by Field Facilitator of SIRD and General Secretary to Lakshya Organization, Roshan Kaushik who informed the participants about the significance of organic farming, online forward marketing, adopting focus group discussion method to make the programme participatory and fruitful.
During the group discussion the participants presented various relevant points in line with production and marketing and concluded that more focus should be given towards adopting organic farming and Indrakeel Farmers Club Federation should come forward in undertaking bulk marketing of agri. /horti. products. The Government should keep MSP on other products like dalle [chilly], broccoli, potato and azola farming (algae used as fertilizer and fodder) should be emphasized, it was mentioned. State level and regional level marketing federations should come forward to auction multiple products to ensure appropriate price and avoid brokers and black marketing it was further suggested.
According to the release, in the absence of representation of Denzong Cooperative Society and lack of response from SIMFED personnel who were invited to take sessions on marketing, the programme concluded after the focus group discussion and presentation before the DDM NABARD. The programme was attended by more than 35 participants representing more than 28 Farmers Clubs, NGOs and KVKs.

District Level Awareness on Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme held at Namchi

NAMCHI, 21 Dec: The District Level Awareness Programme on Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS) for Bankers, NGOs, Farmers Clubs and other agencies was conducted today here at Namchi by NABARD. The objective of the Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme is to promote setting up of modern dairy farms for production of clean milk, to encourage heifer calf rearing thereby conserving good breeding stock, to bring structural changes in the unorganized sector so that initial processing of milk can be taken up at the village level itself, to bring about up gradation of quality and traditional technology to handle milk on a commercial scale and to generate self – employment and provide infrastructure mainly for unorganized sector.

Meeting deliberates on Potential Linked Credit Plan for South District

Rs. 8,020.67 LAKH PROJECTED FOR AGRI AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH DISTRICT FOR 2012-13NAMCHI, 22 Nov: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development [NABARD] has initiated the preparation of district-wise Potential Linked Credit Plans [PLCPs] in a bid to build a more “meaningful link” between development planning and the process of credit planning to support agriculture and rural development.

NABARD reviews SHG progress in Rongli

GANGTOK, 22 Nov: A meeting of the Project Implementation & Monitoring Committee (PIMC) of the Self Help Promoting Institution Project (SHPi) sanctioned to the NGO, Youth Development Society of Sikkim (YODESS) was held in its office at Rongli, East Sikkim, informs a press release.

NABARD conducts district level awareness for farmer clubs

NAMCHI, 18 Nov: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development (NABARD) conducted a district level awareness programme for Farmers Clubs of South District under the scheme for Development, Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization today at Hotel Samdrup, Namchi.

Farmers Club awards ceremony reiterates Organic State resolve

AMEET OBEROI
GANGTOK, Feb 25: “We can make Sikkim a Switzerland, the dream of the Chief Minister, in its true sense, but for this to happen, we all need and have to work together,” said Dawcho Lepcha, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Livestock and Veterinary Services Department.
He was speaking at the Farmers Club awards function to felicitate Best Performing Farmers Clubs at the National level during the years 2007-08 & 2008-09 and at State level during the year 2009-10 organized by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development [NABARD] at Hotel Denzong Regency here today.