Aizawl: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Mizoram Regional Office held the State Credit Seminar in Aizawl, with Chief Minister Lalduhoma gracing the occasion as the chief guest. The seminar witnessed the release of the State Focus Paper for 2025-26, which outlines key strategies for the state’s agricultural and rural development.
The seminar was attended by distinguished guests, including Lalnilawma, the Minister of Rural Development, Horticulture, and PHED; PC Vanlalruata, the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperation; and T. Lhungdim, the General Manager (OIC) of the Reserve Bank of India. Senior officials from various banks, SLBC coordinators, Lead District Managers, and developmental agencies were also present, contributing to the seminar’s discussions on boosting rural economy through enhanced credit planning and collaboration.
Pankaja Borah, General Manager of NABARD Mizoram, began the event by welcoming the dignitaries and attendees, highlighting the significance of the State Focus Paper in shaping the state’s development plans. She emphasized the importance of credit in driving rural transformation and outlined NABARD’s commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture, financial inclusion, and innovative rural infrastructure projects. Borah urged banks and government departments to join forces in providing increased financial support to key rural sectors, thus fostering employment and improving farmers’ incomes.
T. Lhungdim, representing the Reserve Bank of India, shared insights into the RBI’s initiatives, including raising the limit for collateral-free agricultural loans from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. This increase aims to ease financial access for farmers, particularly small and marginal ones, by minimizing borrowing costs. The initiative is expected to encourage greater investment in agriculture, especially through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.
Addressing the seminar, Lalnilawma emphasized the need for the development of the Food Processing Sector, particularly through skill development for rural youth and enhancing the value chain for agro-based products. The minister highlighted the state’s lack of cold storage and agriculture marketing infrastructure and proposed efforts to facilitate institutional credit for initiatives like Bamboo Chain Development to support farmers.
PC Vanlalruata, the Agriculture and Cooperation Minister, expressed his appreciation for NABARD’s contributions to agriculture development and financial inclusion in the state. He also assured the swift implementation of rural infrastructure projects funded by NABARD.
In his address, Chief Minister Lalduhoma congratulated NABARD for organizing the seminar and officially released the State Focus Paper for 2025-26. The Chief Minister expressed hope that the document would provide crucial action points to enhance agriculture and sustainable rural development in Mizoram. He praised NABARD’s role in improving rural communities through infrastructure development, micro-enterprise support, and financial inclusion programs.
During the seminar, Amit Sharma presented on the Cooperative Sector’s Development, revealing that Mizoram has the lowest cooperative membership in India, at just 4%. Sharma highlighted the progress of the PACS Computerisation Scheme, with 25 PACS achieving Go-Live status in its first phase.
The seminar included detailed presentations on various agricultural sub-sectors, followed by an open house discussion among participants. The State Focus Paper for 2025-26 identifies funding potentials for various sectors: Agriculture and allied sectors (Rs. 964.45 crore), Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (Rs. 1471.23 crore), and other priority sectors (Rs. 548.90 crore), totaling an overall projection of Rs. 2984.59 crore.
This seminar marked a significant step towards shaping Mizoram’s agricultural and rural economy for the coming years, with the Banking Sector now tasked with integrating these projections into the Annual Credit Plan for 2025-26.