Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Friday called for a major push to agricultural financing across Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that accessible and affordable credit remains key to unlocking the potential of the agriculture and allied sectors.
Chairing a review meeting of the Agriculture Production Department (APD), the Chief Secretary assessed the implementation and progress of various agricultural credit schemes being extended across the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, APD, Dr Ashish Chandra Verma, Managing Director HADP, directors of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries from both divisions, while Deputy Commissioners joined through video conferencing.
Reviewing district-wise performance under different credit-linked schemes, Dulloo directed district administrations and banking institutions to pursue these initiatives with greater ambition and commitment to ensure maximum benefits reach farmers, entrepreneurs and producer groups.
Emphasising the importance of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, he called for saturation of KCC coverage, timely renewal of accounts and prompt disbursement of repayment incentives to eligible farmers. He also directed departments and banks to launch extensive awareness campaigns so that farmers are fully informed about the incentives and benefits available under the scheme.
The Chief Secretary asked officials to expedite onboarding under the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) in areas where land records have been digitised and ensure that these records remain updated alongside the ongoing generation of Farmer IDs.
Highlighting the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in strengthening rural economies, Dulloo stressed the need for systematic capacity building to make them credit-worthy and financially sustainable. He directed the department to provide mentoring support to FPOs to improve their productivity and institutional capabilities in line with banking requirements.
The meeting also reviewed performance under Agricultural Term Loans and discussed activities generating the highest demand for credit. Dulloo directed banks to provide activity-wise data and explore the inclusion of high-demand sectors under the Mission YUVA framework.
Presenting an overview of the agricultural credit ecosystem, Additional Chief Secretary Dr Ashish Chandra Verma outlined the uptake of various schemes, challenges being faced and the roadmap for achieving desired outcomes.
Officials informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir currently has around 11.57 lakh active KCC account holders, with nearly 3.5 lakh farmers availing prompt repayment incentives during the previous financial year. Around 7.99 lakh beneficiaries have been provided smart cards, while coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) reached 41 per cent during the Kharif season.
The review covered 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.
Under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, loans worth ₹680 crore have been sanctioned, of which ₹431 crore has been disbursed among 392 beneficiaries. Under PMFME, 545 cases involving disbursement of ₹22 crore were reported during 2024-25. Loans amounting to ₹302.78 crore have been sanctioned under HADP Credit, with ₹172.69 crore disbursed up to May 2026.
The meeting was informed that credit worth ₹604 crore has been sanctioned to 67 Farmer Producer Organisations, while ₹425 crore has been disbursed among 54 FPOs across the Union Territory.
Regarding PM-KISAN, officials informed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has around 9.16 lakh active beneficiaries, with pendencies related to land seeding, NPCI and e-KYC witnessing significant reduction.
The meeting was also informed that the upcoming “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” will be utilised to reach villages across Jammu and Kashmir and create awareness among farmers about agricultural credit schemes and other initiatives aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector.
