NABARD key to Karnataka’s Agri-Tech, carbon credit and digital farming goals: Chief Secy Shalini

Bengaluru, Jul 15 (PTI) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)’s support is vital for Karnataka’s efforts to promote agri-tech start-ups, carbon credit ecosystems, and digital agriculture, said Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary of Karnataka, on Tuesday.

She was delivering a keynote address at the NABARD’s 44th Foundation Day celebrations in Bengaluru The event was themed ‘Building Resilient Rural Economies through Youth and Women-led Enterprises in Karnataka’, reflecting NABARD’s focus on empowering youth and women entrepreneurs through inclusive, innovative and sustainable rural development.

As part of the event, an exhibition showcasing a wide array of products from Self-Help Groups, Farmer Producer Organizations, and GI clusters across Karnataka was also organised.

Surendra Babu, Chief General Manager, Karnataka Regional Office, outlined the journey of NABARD since its inception.

He said the total business operations in Karnataka reached an all-time high of Rs 27,846 crore, which included Rs 21,442 crore in refinance assistance to banks and cooperative institutions, Rs 4,974 crore in infrastructure finance and Rs 1,431 crore in direct refinance to District Central Cooperative Banks.

A booklet titled ‘Success Stories of FPOs in Karnataka’, which documents the inspiring journeys of Farmer Producer Organizations across the state, was also released at the event.

As part of the celebrations, six exemplary Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) from across Karnataka were felicitated for outstanding achievements in turnover, growth, innovation, and grassroots impact.

Sonali Sen Gupta, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India was also present. PTI JR ROH