Agriculture
Minister Dattatray Bharne as Chief Guest;
NABARD Maharashtra
posts record ₹39,380 crore in business support and refinance in 2025-26
Pune: NABARD
celebrated its 45th Foundation Day at the Pune International Centre on 16 July
2026, marking the International Year of Women Farmers 2026 and reaffirming its
commitment to inclusive, sustainable and climate-resilient rural growth.
Hon’ble Dattatray Vithoba Bharne, Agriculture Minister, Maharashtra, attended
as Chief Guest, and women farmers, women-led FPOs, SHGs, PACS and rural
entrepreneurs from across the State were felicitated for their contribution to
rural transformation.
The event was
attended by Shri Jaikish, CGM & Principal, CAB, Pune; Shri Vivek Nachane,
GM/Convenor, SLBC, Maharashtra; Dr. Bharat Kakde, President, BAIF and Shri
Vidhyadhar Anaskar, Administrator, MStCB. Dr. A. V. Bhavani Shankar, Chief
General Manager, NABARD Maharashtra Regional Office hosted the programme. A
booklet, “Empowering Rural Maharashtra: NABARD 2025-26,” was released, and a
documentary on the NABARD-supported Backyard Poultry Livelihood Project led by
women in Chandrapur district was screened.
Chief Guest Highlights State’s
Farmer-Welfare Push
Shri Bharne
commended NABARD’s 45-year partnership with Maharashtra’s farmers and
cooperatives, calling women “the backbone of agriculture.” He cited the State
Budget’s farmer-first measures: crop loan waivers up to ₹2 lakh with a ₹50,000
regular repayment incentive under the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari
Karj Mafi Yojana; free power to farmers with pumps up to 7.5 HP; the Natural
Farming Mission’s five-lakh-hectare target; AgriStack digital IDs for over a
crore farmers; AI advisory via Mahavistaar-AI and Vasudha; and expanded
livelihoods under the Pashudhan Udyojak and Matsya Sampada Yojanas.
He noted priority
sector lending rose from ₹6.40 lakh crore (2023-24) to ₹9.20 lakh crore
(2025-26), and agricultural credit from ₹1.54 lakh crore to ₹1.93 lakh crore,
urging banks to widen KCC coverage especially for small and marginal farmers.
On women’s empowerment, he highlighted the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin
Yojana and UMED, under which over 50 lakh women in SHGs have received
₹50,000-crore-plus in loans as ‘Lakhpati Didis,’ and invited NABARD to deepen
ties with UMED, MAVIM and Women FPCs. He linked these efforts to the State’s
Viksit Maharashtra 2047 vision for a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030,
growing to five trillion dollars by 2047 — to be built on the strength of
villages, farms and cooperatives to ensure inclusive and regionally balanced
development.
Record Year for NABARD Maharashtra
Dr. Bhavani
Shankar called 2025-26 a landmark year for NABARD Maharashtra, as business
support and refinance crossed ₹39,380 crore, direct infrastructure assistance
to the State Government stood at nearly ₹5,600 crore, and ₹37.72 crore was
extended under developmental and grant-based initiatives. He highlighted strong
progress on PACS digitisation, Multi-Purpose PACS, and continued support for
FPOs, climate-resilient agriculture, natural resource management and women-led
rural enterprises - reiterating that empowering women farmers and strengthening
rural institutions remain central to NABARD’s Viksit Bharat @2047 strategy in
Maharashtra.
Smt. Samriti
Bhagat, General Manager, delivered the welcome address; Shri Avinash P.
Sevalkar, General Manager, NABARD Maharashtra Regional Office, proposed the
vote of thanks.