The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has increased the small farmers revolving fund to Rs 4,390 million. Minfal sources told Business Recorder on Saturday the revolving fund is the main linchpin in the whole productivity enhancement and income generation initiatives "Special Programme for Food Security and Productivity Enhancement of Small Farmers in 1012 Villages".
The sources said the revolving fund will be the main element of sustainability of productivity enhancement and food security programme. The success of the whole project is dependent on the proper and affective operation of this credit component and larger participation of the small farming communities in the project implementation, the sources added.
The government had approved "Crop Maximisation Project II" at a total cost of Rs 8,013 million for a period of five years in 1012 villages of 26 districts in all the four provinces of country, AJK, Fata and Fana.
The objectives of the project are: (a) supplement the country's on-going efforts to increase food production through productivity enhancement of small farmers and build their linkages with upstream marketing and value addition chains for improving their marketing ability;
(b) promote small scale on-farm and off farm enterprises for income generation to ensure food security and alleviate poverty;
(c) empower small farmers through the establishment of self managed Village Organisations (VOs); and;
(d) build a sustainable financial mechanism to ensure continuity of the productivity enhancement and food security program in the post project period. While approving the project, Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) had decided to route this fund to village organisations through commercial banking system under strict defined control and procedures encompassing all planning and operational areas.
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