In its poverty-reduction efforts through employment generation, PKSF has been providing financial support to its organised members through partner organisations since its inception in 1990. Analysis shows, some 30-40% of the total loan disbursement are used to fund income generating activities in farm sector either directly or indirectly. Under its farm-based “Sufolon” programme, PKSF extends appropriate financial assistance to extreme poor, moderate poor, and marginal and small farmers for need-based farm production.
Any sustainable poverty reduction efforts through increased production require technology transfer and technical assistance alongside financial support. To this end, PKSF has been implementing a diverse range of programmes for expansion of farm technologies and skills development of farmers with support from various development partners since 1998. These include Participatory Livestock Development Project, Microfinance and Technical Support Project, Microfinance for Marginal and Small Farmers Project, Programmed Initiatives for Monga Eradication Project, Learning and Innovation Fund to Test New Ideas Project, Community Climate Change Project, Promoting Agricultural Commercialization and Enterprises, Sustainable Enterprise Project, and Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project.
In recognition of its contribution to expansion of farm technologies and financial assistance for marginal and small farmers, the Microfinance for Marginal and Small Farmers Project has been acknowledged as the “best project” and received the “Development Impact Honor Award” from the US Department of the Treasury in 2014.
The formation of the Integrated Agriculture Unit goes back to 2013, when the PKSF Board approved formation of two separate units – Agriculture Unit and Livestock Unit. The Livestock Unit was later renamed as Fisheries and Livestock Unit. Since 2021, these two units are working under the same umbrella under the name of Integrated Agriculture Unit. This Unit is contributing to the achievement of a number of SDGs, especially those related to food and nutrition security, gender equality, climate change adaptation. Broadly, the Unit works is four areas of interventions:
Expansion of environment-friendly technology
- High-value and new variety crop technology among farmers
- Climate shock-tolerant varieties
- Good agricultural practices for safe vegetable production
- Preservation of native varieties
- Climate-adaptive technology
- Preservation of soil quality
- Food and health management in fish farming
- Climate-adaptive native and high-value fish culture
- Processing and marketing of livestock products
- Environment-friendly waste management, etc.
Financial services:
- Appropriate financial services for farm, fisheries and livestock preservation, processing, marketing and sales
- Technical services for the same
Skills development and management:
- Training farmers for sustainable and environment-friendly development
- Linking POs and relevant PKSF staff with research and educational institutions for knowledge enhancement
Safe food production and marketing:
- Ensure production of safe farm products
- Take effective measures for processing and marketing of these products
