SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level review meeting on Monday to assess the implementation of the Rs 1,800 crore Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP), a flagship initiative aimed at boosting climate resilience, niche production and market access for farmers across the Union Territory, according to a DIPR statement.
The meeting, convened by the Agriculture Production Department (APD), was attended by Principal Secretary Shailendra Kumar; Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Jammu; Managing Directors of Jammu and Kashmir Bank and HADP; Deputy Commissioners; heads of departments; and officials from SKUAST-Kashmir and allied sectors.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary praised the design and scope of JKCIP but stressed the urgency of timely execution. He directed departments to ensure swift approvals of beneficiary applications and called on banks to integrate their systems with the JKCIP portal to streamline processes. Dulloo further urged the creation of a dedicated loan product tailored to the programme’s needs and sought capacity-building training modules for both trainers and beneficiaries.
He underlined that the targets set for the ongoing financial year must be achieved within the timeline, with better inter-agency coordination and outcome-driven implementation.
Principal Secretary Shailendra Kumar, while presenting the project’s scope, said the JKCIP involves a total investment of US Dollars 217 million, or approximately Rs 1,800 crore. The funding pattern includes contributions from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (46 per cent), the UT Government (12 per cent), farmers (21 per cent), private sector (10 per cent), banks (10 per cent) and convergence funds (2 per cent).
He said the project targets over 3 lakh households—equivalent to 15 lakh individuals—across 90 blocks evenly split between Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Special focus is being placed on vulnerable populations, including 1.41 lakh women (47per cent), 90,000 youth (30 per cent) and 30,000 individuals from marginalised communities (10 per cent).
The project architecture rests on three key verticals: Climate-smart and market-led production (52 per cent of the total cost), Agri-business ecosystem development (33 per cent), and Project Management (5 per cent), with an additional 10 per cent distributed under convergence and cross-cutting support.
The Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) for 2025–26 has been pegged at Rs 150.06 crore, with Rs 110.33 crore allocated to production, Rs 14.21 crore to agri-business development and Rs 15.90 crore to pastoral and vulnerable community support. IFAD has already approved procurement for 151 out of 172 activities under AWPB, valued at Rs 138 crore. This includes funds for consulting services, goods and grants.
As per the latest update, Rs 75 crore has been released through Beams and another Rs 12.5 crore was sanctioned as advance drawl by the Finance Department on July 15.
MD, HADP, Sandeep Kumar informed the meeting that as of July 19, 2025, about 1,240 farmers have registered under the project and 478 applications have been received. Priority sectors identified so far include sheep and goat rearing, vegetable cultivation, water resource management, protected cultivation and apple crop development.
To support financial inclusion, a farmer-friendly loan product has been jointly developed with the UTLBC. It features a 10% margin money requirement, zero processing fees, a moratorium of up to two years and a repayment tenure of up to eight years.
Feasibility studies and business plans are underway for value chains in tulip, saffron, apple and wool. Meanwhile, the project is ramping up its human resource capacity with interviews for officer-level positions already scheduled.
The Chief Secretary stressed the need for rigorous implementation, not just in fund utilisation but in tangible improvements for the farming community. Rural credit workshops will begin in August to spread awareness and drive participation.
With financial backing, institutional coordination and climate resilience at its core, the JKCIP is being pitched as a game-changer for agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the coming months will test its delivery on the ground
