NATIONAL BANK for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Bhopal, conducted a State-level workshop on medicinal and aromatic crops (MACs), agri-clinic and agri-business centres in Bhopal today. SG Siddesh, General Manager, NABARD, presided over it.
Representatives of Minor Forest Produce Federation Limited, Horticulture Department, Agriculture Department, financing banks and progressive farmers attended the workshop.
SG Siddesh, in his inaugural address, pressed on the need for promoting medicinal and aromatic crops in the State owing to their immense potential in the backdrop of herbal strategy of the State Government.
VR Khare, IFS, Managing Director of MFP Federation informed that the National Medicinal Plant Board had appointed MFP Federation as the nodal agency for promotion and development of MACs in the State. Dr GS Jarial of CEDMAP presented a report on the potential for different MACs in the State and exhorted banks to finance projects in this sector. He also informed that more than 12,00 youths had been trained by his institute in the field.
Deliberations were also held on agri-clinic and agri-business Centers (AC-ABC) where representatives of nodal agencies of AC-ABCs like Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) and Academy of Administration, gave presentations on their respective roles in promoting the scheme. Banks were advised to increase finance for AC-ABC projects since their progress was not satisfactory.
{{/usCountry}}Deliberations were also held on agri-clinic and agri-business Centers (AC-ABC) where representatives of nodal agencies of AC-ABCs like Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) and Academy of Administration, gave presentations on their respective roles in promoting the scheme. Banks were advised to increase finance for AC-ABC projects since their progress was not satisfactory.
{{/usCountry}}It was decided that Regional Offices of the banks would monitor the progress made under the schemes in order to expedite the sanctions for pending and new proposals, informed Dr Surendra Babu, Assistant General Manager, NABARD, Bhopal.