Agriculture deserves greater attention through credit from banks, said Collector C. Munianathan at the district level conference of Farmers Clubs conducted here by the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) on Tuesday.
Inaugurating the meet, Collector C. Munianathan pointed out to the stated objectives of Farmers Clubs, when they were conceived in 1982. Its five stated goals include judicious use of bank loans through technological and scientific know-how, facilitating income generation and aid productivity, instilling respect for terms and conditions of credit and also to inculcate the habit of repayment without default, Mr. Munianathan said.
Farmers Clubs function with the support of Regional Rural Banks and financial assistance from NABARD. They serve to carry technological know-how to farmers at the grassroots. There are about 100 farmers clubs in the district with the mandate of bridging gaps in creating awareness among farmers.
Collector urged farmers and bankers to use the conference as a platform for knowledge sharing. Commercialisation of agriculture was possible through use of advanced technologies such as drip irrigation, System of Rice Intensification, and organic farming, all of which would increase yield, Mr. Munianathan said.
G. Venugopal, Assistant General Manager, NABARD; R. Muthusamy, Chief Regional Manager, Indian Overseas Bank; K.C.Gowthaman, Krishi Vigyan Kendra; A.Thanikachalam, Lead Bank Manager; K.Mathiazhagan, Chief Manager, State Bank of India were among those present.
