The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs.1.15 crore from its Farmers Technology Transfer Fund to the National Agro Foundation (NAF), NABARD’s Managing Director K.G. Karmakar announced on Saturday.
Speaking at a function in Illedu village, Kancheepuram, to observe the birth centenary of former statesman C. Subramanian, Dr. Karmakar said the funds had been sanctioned to the NAF to help farmers access new technologies. NABARD was interested in setting up farmers’ clubs throughout the country to ensure the principles of development through credit and technology transfer in order to increase the profits of the members.
Dr. Karmakar said the Bank tied up with the Foundation for a number of development projects being implemented by the NAF and had seen for itself the good work being done by the organisation. He added that NABARD was confident that the funds would be utilised appropriately to take innovative technologies to farmers.
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‘Second revolution’
Dr. Karmakar said NABARD was also keen on focussing on food security, financial inclusion and poverty alleviation issues in villages through its various programmes.
“While the Green Revolution, ushered in by CS [C. Subramanian], came at the right time and helped the country stave off starvation, a second Green Revolution is needed to take farmers’ incomes and productivity much higher,” he added.
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Dr. Karmakar suggested that farmers take part in the commodity exchanges market that are currently trader-driven, and also make additional investments in animal husbandry and fishing to augment incomes.
The Managing Director also released a guide for farmers put together by the NAF on the occasion.
K.S. Subramanian, founder trustee, NAF, paid rich tributes to CS. Commending his probity in public life, absolute honesty and sincerity, Mr. Subramanian added that CS had not claimed credit for the Green Revolution and had instead attributed it to the hard work put in by the farmers and scientists.
CS’s work was being carried on by the organisation he founded, NAF, which had managed to strike a mutually beneficial relationship with farmers, Mr. Subramanian added.
N. Ravi, chairman of the Board of Trustees, NAF, said CS set up the NAF in order to take scientific farming to the community, as he believed agriculture was science-driven. It was fitting that the centenary celebration should take place in a rural setting in the midst of farmers, he said.
S.S. Rajsekar, managing trustee, NAF, said NABARD’s grant would enable the Foundation to reach out to more farmers. The work being done by the NAF is the result of team work by a dedicated bunch of professionals, he added.