SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday chaired a high-level review meeting of the Agriculture Production Department (APD) to assess the implementation and progress of various agricultural credit schemes being extended across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir.The meeting was attended by Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Managing Director, HADP; Directors of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, while Deputy Commissioners participated through video conferencing.
Reviewing the performance of various credit-linked schemes, Atal Dulloo emphasized the need to significantly expand agricultural financing, observing that accessible and affordable credit remains one of the most effective tools for unlocking the vast potential of the agriculture and allied sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
He urged district administrations and banking institutions to pursue these schemes with greater commitment and ambition so that eligible farmers, entrepreneurs and producer groups can derive maximum benefit.
Highlighting the importance of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for saturation of KCC coverage, timely renewal of accounts and prompt disbursement of repayment incentives to eligible beneficiaries in accordance with scheme guidelines.
Atal Dulloo directed concerned departments and banks to undertake extensive awareness campaigns regarding incentives available under the scheme and the eligibility conditions required for availing them, enabling farmers to fully utilize the benefits of institutional credit.
The Chief Secretary also called for expediting onboarding under the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) in areas where digitization of land records has already been completed. He further directed authorities to ensure that land records remain updated alongside the ongoing generation of Farmer IDs across districts.
Underscoring the importance of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in strengthening rural economies, Atal Dulloo emphasized systematic capacity building to make FPOs credit-worthy and financially sustainable. He directed the department to designate mentors from among its trainers to provide handholding support and guidance to FPOs in improving productivity and institutional capacities in line with banking requirements.
The Chief Secretary reviewed district-wise and scheme-wise performance and urged districts with lower achievements to identify bottlenecks and undertake focused interventions to improve outcomes.
The meeting also reviewed Agricultural Term Loans and examined sectors generating the highest demand among applicants. Atal Dulloo directed banks to provide detailed activity-wise data regarding sectors attracting maximum credit demand and explore the possibility of including such activities under the Mission YUVA framework.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma presented a comprehensive overview of the agricultural credit ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting beneficiary uptake, implementation challenges and future strategies for achieving desired outcomes.
Officials informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir currently has around 11.57 lakh active Kisan Credit Card account holders, of whom nearly 3.5 lakh farmers availed prompt repayment incentives during the previous financial year. It was further revealed that 7.99 lakh beneficiaries have been provided smart cards, while 41 per cent coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was achieved during the Kharif season.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of major schemes including the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), HADP Credit, JKCIP Credit, National Livestock Mission (NLM) and PM-KISAN.
According to the review, loans amounting to ₹680 crore have been sanctioned under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, while ₹431 crore has been disbursed among 392 beneficiaries across Jammu and Kashmir.
Under PMFME, 545 cases involving the disbursement of ₹22 crore were reported during the financial year 2024-25.
Officials informed that under HADP Credit, loans worth ₹302.78 crore have been sanctioned, of which ₹172.69 crore has been disbursed up to May 2026.
Regarding the National Livestock Mission, the meeting was informed that 132 applications had been received. Of these, 65 cases are currently under processing by banks, while 27 cases involving financial assistance of ₹12.23 crore have been approved by the Central Executive Committee.
The review further revealed that under FPO financing, credit worth ₹604 crore has been sanctioned in favour of 67 Farmer Producer Organisations, while ₹425 crore has been disbursed among 54 FPOs across Jammu and Kashmir.
With regard to the PM-KISAN scheme, officials informed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has approximately 9.16 lakh active beneficiaries. The meeting noted that land seeding has been completed in a substantial number of cases, while NPCI and e-KYC pendencies have been significantly reduced and are being addressed on priority.
The meeting was also informed that the upcoming “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” would be extensively utilised as a platform to reach every village across the Union Territory and create awareness among farmers regarding various agricultural credit schemes, while also promoting the broader objectives of strengthening the agriculture sector and enhancing farm incomes.
