J&K intensifies push to strengthen agriculture under IFAD-supported JKCIP

Ziraat Times Team Report

Srinagar, July 14: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the Jammu & Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP) with a visiting supervision mission of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), directing implementing agencies to accelerate execution and ensure timely delivery of benefits to eligible beneficiaries.

The review meeting was attended by the IFAD Supervision Mission led by Country Coordinator Meera Mishra, senior officers of the Agriculture Production Department, including Additional Chief Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma, Managing Director of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), officials of the Project Management Unit (JKCIP), and other stakeholders.

The IFAD mission, on a two-week visit to Jammu & Kashmir from July 2 to 14, is conducting field assessments across the Union Territory to evaluate the implementation, quality and impact of the flagship project, which is jointly financed by IFAD, the Government of India and the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.

During the meeting, officials presented an overview of the project’s physical and financial progress, implementation status, digital governance initiatives and the proposed Annual Work Plan and Budget for the coming financial year.

While appreciating the progress achieved so far, Dulloo stressed the need to translate project approvals into tangible assets and sustainable livelihood opportunities on the ground. He directed all implementing agencies to expedite field execution and ensure that project benefits reach eligible beneficiaries within the prescribed timelines.

The Chief Secretary also reviewed the project’s credit linkage component, noting that although more than 2,550 applications had been forwarded to financial institutions, the pace of loan disbursement required improvement. He called for closer coordination with banks and financial institutions to remove procedural bottlenecks and ensure timely sanction and release of credit to beneficiaries.

Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Ashish Chandra Verma informed the meeting that farmer registrations under the project had risen to 58,307, while applications received had crossed 64,750. He said over 39,900 applications had been approved and 7,406 livelihood units established across the Union Territory.

Managing Director, HADP informed the meeting that the Climate Smart and Market-Led Production component continued to account for the largest share of project interventions, followed by initiatives supporting vulnerable communities and expansion of the agribusiness ecosystem.

Officials said the project had achieved significant progress through expansion of high-value crops such as vegetables, Bhaderwah Rajmash, Mushkbudji rice, Basmati, saffron and other specialty crops. Other interventions include development of water management infrastructure, promotion of protected cultivation, mushroom and honey production units, seed villages and high-density horticulture orchards.

The project has also supported the establishment of grading and post-harvest infrastructure, incubation of agri-startups, entrepreneurship development, buyer-seller meets and participation in national trade fairs to strengthen agricultural value chains and improve market access.

For pastoralists and other vulnerable communities, the project has facilitated establishment of sheep units, distribution of ice boxes to fisherfolk, creation of milk collection centres, promotion of diversified livelihood enterprises and improved livestock breeding initiatives.

Reviewing the Annual Work Plan and Budget, Dulloo called for timely execution of planned activities, efficient utilisation of available financial resources and strict adherence to project timelines to achieve the intended developmental outcomes.

The IFAD delegation appreciated the progress made by the Jammu & Kashmir government in institutionalising transparent digital systems for project implementation and acknowledged improvements since the previous supervision mission. The team also shared recommendations to further strengthen implementation quality, sustainability and community participation.

Speaking on the occasion, IFAD Country Coordinator Meera Mishra reaffirmed IFAD’s commitment to supporting sustainable agricultural transformation, climate-resilient farming, inclusive rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship development in Jammu & Kashmir. She expressed confidence that the mission’s recommendations would further improve project outcomes.

The Chief Secretary reiterated the government’s commitment to successful implementation of JKCIP and directed all stakeholder departments to work closely with the IFAD mission to incorporate its recommendations. He said the project offers a significant opportunity to transform agriculture into a competitive, climate-resilient and market-oriented sector while creating sustainable livelihoods for farmers, youth, women and vulnerable communities across Jammu & Kashmir.