AFC has had the distinction of formulating
several complex and innovative projects on behalf of the member
banks. AFC has been instrumental in creating
several model Comprehensive Block Development plans. These plans
had been the basis for the member banks to sanction loans to
individual farmers and rural entrepreneurs for undertaking
investments in Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Dryland Farming,
Watershed Development, Non-farm activities, Non-conventional
sources of energy, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Poultry and
Fisheries. The Block Development Plans assessed the potential
available for financing these activities on viable basis and
identified the infrastructure support necessary, including
marketing arrangement for making such schemes bankable by means
of suitable implementation machinery.
Apart from this, other notable assignments include preparation
of projects related to Sericulture, Medicinal plants, Evaluation
of Watershed Development Project, T&V Extension projects,
Integrated Rural Development programmes, Agricultural Development
Programmes and Scheduled Castes Development Programmes.
With the transfer of the National Wastelands Development Board
to the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, the
Regional Centre for Wastelands Development set up at the
Corporation's Delhi office in 1989-90 was converted into Regional
Centre, National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board of the
Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India (NAEB).
This Centre assists the National Afforestation and
Eco-Devevlopment Board and the three State Governments of Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Delhi by
organising workshops, conducting studies and discussing various
relevant issues in its Advisory Management Committee meetings.
A special mention could be made of the preparation of the
Horticulture Development Programme in Tribal Development Blocks
of Andhra Pradesh and the implementation of the Jawahar Rozgar
Yojana in different States, preparation of project reports for
commercial production of tissue culture plantlets of ornamentals
for export, horticulture and sericulture development in various
States, fresh water fish culture, poultry development and various
types of studies such as assessment of land degradation, damage
to agricultural productivity and impact study of World Bank aided
Parua Nala Project.
At the instance of the Government of Maharashtra AFC
formulated an Agri-business Micro Level Development Plan for the
Pune District. More recently AFC completed a
Crop Loan Study for the National Bank. The objective of this
study was to examine the existing systems and procedures
obtaining in cooperatives, commercial and rural banks for
extending production credit namely, crop loans and making
suitable suggestions for revision of the crop loan manual.
AFC continues its effort to promote a more
rapid agricultural development in the Eastern and North Eastern
regions of the country by undertaking formulation of projects and
carrying out monitoring/ evaluation studies relating to
implementation of agriculture and rural development programmes.
The projects undertaken included the Techno-Economic Feasibility Survey on the scope of development of horticultural crops in West Bengal, Master Plan for Horticulture Development in Mizoram, Evaluation of Performance of Minor Irrigation Schemes in the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Plan for oustees of Tipaimukh High Dam Project, Environmental appraisal on Kameng Hydro Electric Project, Studies relating to Assam Agricultural Development Project and preparation of a project report for development of 25 agricultural farms of the Sone Command Agricultural Development Agency.