Apple Festival 2.0 in Dehradun

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organising “Apple Festival 2.0” in Dehradun
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been continuously striving for agricultural and rural development since its inception. In this regard, the NABARD Uttarakhand Regional Office, Dehradun, like last year, is organizing a two-day “Apple Festival 2.0” from October 9th to 10th, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the office located in IT Park, Plot 42. The Apple Festival 2.0 was inaugurated by Shri Ganesh Joshi, Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Uttarakhand, Government of Uttarakhand and Shri Pankaj Yadav, Chief General Manager, NABARD on October 9th, 2025. On this occasion, the following products from NABARD-supported Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Tribal Development Projects were brought for exhibition and marketing:
In this festival, ‘A’ grade Royal Delicious, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples produced by NABARD supported Farmer Producer Organization of Harshil Valley, Kiwi fruit produced through natural method by the farmers of Kapkot, best hill products (walnut, kidney beans, GI tagged products, juice, pickle, handloom products, herbs, etc.) produced by other Farmer Producer Organizations and Self Help Groups are available for purchase on both days.
During the inauguration of the programme, senior officers from NABARD was present as special guest along with Shri Arvind Kumar, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India, Shri Anupam, General Manager, Punjab National Bank, Shri Harihar Pattnaik, Chairman, Uttarakhand Gramin Bank, Shri Vinod Kumar, Deputy General Manager, State Bank of India, Shri Rajiv Pant, SLBC, Convener besides senior officers from Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Canara Bank, District Central Cooperative Bank etc. During his address at the opening ceremony, Shri Ganesh Joshi praised NABARD’s efforts and explained that such fairs not only provide the public with an opportunity to connect directly with farmers, but also directly increase farmers’ income through sales. On this occasion, the Chief General Manager, NABARD, also briefed the public on NABARD-supported projects in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, financial assistance provided to state governments to strengthen infrastructure, and various NABARD activities. He expressed hope that such programs will help connect farmers and women directly with customers and ensure fair prices for their produce.
NABARD is providing farmers with the opportunity to sell their produce directly from their villages by providing a platform at its offices. This will not only expand farmers’ connections with local markets but also provide local residents with the opportunity to purchase high-quality produce at reasonable prices.
A Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed between NABARD and Uttarakhand Gramin Bank during the Apple Festival 2.0 for providing financial assistance/loans to farmer producer organizations and self-help groups.
Arrangements have been made to transport farmers’ produce from the fields to Apple Festival 2.0 for marketing facilities through a mobile mart provided by NABARD. All purchases and sales during the festival are being processed digitally also.
This initiative will be repeated every year by NABARD Uttarakhand Regional Office, Dehradun and it will be organised in a grand manner in the coming years and efforts will be made to bring smiles on the faces of farmers.