NABARD Unveils State Focus Paper 2025-26 at State Credit Seminar in Goa

Panaji :
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organized the State Credit Seminar for the unveiling of the State Focus Paper 2025-26 at Hotel Novotel, Pato, Panaji. The seminar was graced by Subhash A. Shirodkar, Minister of Cooperation and Water Resources Department (WRD), who presided over the event and released the State Focus Paper 2025-26.

Also present at the event were  Vikas S. Naik Gaunekar, Additional Secretary, Finance Department, Government of Goa,  Sandeep Dharkar, General Manager / Officer-in-Charge, NABARD Goa Regional Office, Krishna Kumar S, Deputy General Manager, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and Carlos Rodrigues, Assistant General Manager, State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC). These dignitaries participated in the release of the State Focus Paper.

During his address, Shirodkar acknowledged NABARD’s significant role in Goa’s rural development, particularly in creating critical infrastructure in rural areas and strengthening cooperatives through the PACS (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies) Computerization initiative. He emphasized the importance of adopting a holistic approach to rural development, focusing on skill development for youth, the dairy and fisheries sectors, renewable energy, and MSMEs.

As part of the event, Shirodkar also felicitated five PACS from Goa for their exemplary efforts in implementing the Central Sector Scheme on PACS Computerization.

The State Focus Paper 2025-26 presents a projected credit potential of ₹12,803.53 crore for priority sectors in Goa for the financial year 2025-26. Of this, ₹2,765.28 crore (22%) is projected for Agriculture and Allied Activities. The MSME sector is expected to receive ₹9,348 crore (73%), while ₹690.25 crore (5%) is projected for other priority sectors.

The State Focus Paper is a comprehensive document aggregating the credit potentials assessed at the district level, providing a roadmap for credit absorption across sectors and activities. It serves as a vital tool for credit and infrastructure planning by bankers and the State Government, aiding in prioritizing funds for development.

NABARD, an apex developmental financial institution under the Ministry of Finance, continues to empower India’s agricultural and rural ecosystems. Through its numerous interventions, NABARD supports expanding the scale of finance, extending concessional credit, promoting grassroots institutions like FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations), SHGs (Self-Help Groups), and JLGs (Joint Liability Groups), and designing tailored financial products such as Kisan Credit Cards. NABARD’s contributions also include the development of rural infrastructure, watershed management, and enhancing tribal livelihoods.