March 12: Stakeholders have emphasized that microfinance companies and cooperatives should not be viewed from the same point of view. Speaking on the occasion of the 22nd foundation day of Small Farmers Development Microfinance Financial Institution, the speakers said that all microfinance and cooperatives are not problematic. Similarly, they said, if the production and productivity of the agricultural sector can be increased and attention can be paid to the storage, processing and marketing of agricultural products, the path to economic development will be opened.

Speaking at the program, Shri Krishna Upadhyay, the former chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank, pointed out the need to pay attention not only to investment in the agricultural sector but also to the marketing of the products. He emphasized that the government should identify such cooperatives and implement agricultural programs to boost the enthusiasm of farmers who are members of agricultural cooperatives that have done good work in rural areas.

"Cooperatives are not necessarily problematic all the time," he said, adding, There are also cooperatives that have potential and have proven themselves to be successful."

He emphasized the need to end the practice of looking at cooperatives and microfinance from the same point of view.

Khem Bahadur Pathak, president of Farmers Development Microfinance Financial Institution, expressed dissatisfaction with the analysis that all microfinance companies are facing problems.

He clarified that there is no problem in the institutions as stated in the market. He said that they are working on the economic and social transformation of Raute, Kusunda, Musahar, Bankaria, Dalits, minorities and women who are backward in the community through the small farmers’ program.

In the program, the Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural Development Bank, Gobinda Gurung, pointed out the need to work more on motivating farmers to start production, processing, storing and connecting to the market.

Likewise, the Chief Executive Officer of Farmers Development Microfinance Financial Institution, Shivram Prasad Koirala emphasized that the institution should be evaluated by looking at the work done by microfinance.