With an aim to prepare a roadmap for development of off-farm sectors of handicrafts and handloom, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in association with PHD Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Kashmir-Chapter organised a stakeholders’ meet on Saturday here.
The event was organised, keeping in view the demand from these sectors for adoption new ways of development as well as focusing the issues faced by these handicrafts, handloom and carpet industry and its stakeholders.
District general manager, NABARD, Qamar Javed and PHD Chamber expert committee chairman Bilal Ahmed Kawoosa inaugurated the programme.
Chief General Manager NABARD for J&K P Balachandran was thechief guest at the occasion, a statement issued by the PHD Chamber said.
It was said at the occasion that NABARD has over the years evolved several refinance and promotional schemes for development of off farm sector and has been making constant efforts to broad base and refine/rationalise its schemes in response to needs at the field level.
While addressing the gathering Balachandran said the government intervention is required to establish market linkages for these sectors, and also urged the bankers to reach out to all the stakeholders, and called for coordination between farmers and experts to improve the bankers’ credit flow. He said “Programmes like this have helped groups come up with success stories over years. We are still learning new things from events like this and are striving to be better every time. Also along the way, we are creating awareness and educating the stakeholders”.
The experts explained about significance of the development, opportunities on account of schemes of Government, increased credit flow, provision of credit to the unreached, and provision of linkages for small, cottage and village industries, handloom, handicrafts and other rural crafts and service sector.