The National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard) is boosting the formation of farmers’ clubs in Jharkhand.
A branch of a rural or semi-urban bank, for example, brings farmers in its area under a farmer club, which can sometimes have as many as 50 members.
“The farmers’ club has caught on like a movement. During 2007-08 alone, around 240 such clubs were formed,” Jharkhand Nabard chief general manager (CGM) KC Shashidhar told FE.
The clubs have been acting like business facilitators for poor, small and marginal farmers, which are in the majority, apart from helping to make them financially literate.
The clubs have also been assisting the bank branches in the development of rural credit.
Vananchal Gramin Bank, which has 178 branches spread across the 22 districts of the state, has formed as many as 178 farmers’ clubs.
Similarly, Ranchi district, which has 26 semi-urban and rural bank branches, has 50 such clubs.
Chhatra and Giridih districts have 23 and 53 clubs, respectively.
An interesting aspect of the clubs in Lohardagga district is that they are all-women affairs.
The Horticulture & Agriculture Research Programme (HARP) run at the ICAR Research Complex for the eastern region at Palandu (near Ranchi) recently came forward to impart technological training to a number of members of farmers’ clubs from across the state.
The farmers, under the guidance of HARP principal scientist and head Shivendra Kumar, were shown how they could use new technology to get better yields.
“Nabard is keeping a watchful eye on the clubs’ activities lest they become inactive and their existence remains on paper only,” Shashidhar said.