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Agriculture / Rural Credit - Where are we headed over the next twenty five years

 Agriculture / Rural Sector -Credit Flow - Where are we headed in the next twenty five years. Dinesh K Kapila, Chief General Manager (Retd), NABARD. 

The perspective for the next twenty five years for any State in India presents a major challenge as the scenario which would evolve in terms of technology, economic changes, demographic profile, changing consumer trends and the consequent impact on production, changes in the financial eco system and climate change are imponderables. For example a scenario could evolve that in a hill state short term credit could be more in demand By FPOs and other such aggregators rather than limited to individual farmers for crop loans. Fintech evolving in rural areas are also a gray area in terms of evolution, growth and credit planning. However a vision has to be evolved and a broad array of goals drawn up. Then we can disaggregate and draw up a plan for the next five years and thereafter project in terms of the two decades to follow. 

The plan would encompass and indicate the perspective for the next five years in any State and take into account the following-

 - the existing infrastructure and infrastructure getting operationalized - the Credit flow by Banks and NBFCs and the trends across sectors Agriculture, Industry Services, Exports, Urban Branches and Rural / Semi Urban Branches.

 - the plans of the State Government with specific reference to Agriculture inclusive of Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Markets and Storage. - the existing programmes underway for development with support from multilateral institutions

 - The Evolving Industrial sector and the sectors such as Agro / Food Processing. 

- the growth and evolution of the rural and semi urban housing sector and social infrastructure 

- Micro finance trends and evolution. Plus loans from State Owned Corporations such as SC / ST Corporations and Finance Corporations. 

- Refinance and Infrastructure Support (including watersheds / springsheds) by NABARD and their perspective as shared by the State Focus Paper and District Plans. SIDBI also in addition. 

- Strengthening of the credit dispensation institutions specially RFIs (Rural Financial Institutions) 


The pillars on which the plan can be projected are and then subsequently reprioritized are -

 - The Traditional Agricultural sector and production oriented crop loan 

- The traditional investment credit activities such as Farm Mechanisation, Irrigation, Land Dev etc - Efforts as regards small / marginal / tenant farmers 

- The Advent of Start ups and their impact. Incentivising exports. 

- Encouraging Agri Preneurs and specially the contribution by the Incubation Centres - Initiatives such as vertical farming near major metros and impact 

- Trends in improvement of productivity and production of crops including cotton etc and mapping climate impact 

- Initiatives in Agriculture / Horticulture such as Replacing and Rejuvenation of the Aging Fruit Trees or improving productivity of vegetable products or expansion of area 

- Improvement of the Storage sector and Agro Processing Sector specially of rural markets and basic processing sectors and cold stores 

- Impact of the Central Government Schemes viz of Saturation of KCCs AIF AHIDF and FPOs and the schemes for MSMEs and Housing 

- Strengthening of the Animal Husbandry / Fishery Sector

 - Technology oriented protection agriculture, precision agriculture, micro irrigation. The increasing use of Biotechnology and its consequent enhancement of productivity. 

- Moving farm oriented labour to manufacturing / services and its outreach by way of farm cum retail stores, rural health centres and education centres, effective extension and through ACABC trained trainees, etc. Plus the level and quality of education in n Agriculture. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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