Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | After waiver, loans at 5% for farmers next on agenda by Mahendra Kumar Singh

After waiver, loans at 5% for farmers next on agenda by Mahendra Kumar Singh

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jul 29, 2010   modified Modified on Jul 29, 2010

At a time when agriculture production has become key to economic expansion, the Union Cabinet on Friday will consider a proposal to fulfill its promise of crop loans at a cheaper rate of 5% to farmers who make timely repayment.

In the current year's budget, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had proposed to give up to 2% interest rate subvention to farmers who do not default on their repayments, making the effective rate 5% per annum against 7% on crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh.

At its meeting, the Cabinet will consider the finance ministry's proposal for releasing interest subvention to public sector banks, cooperative banks, regional rural banks and NABARD for refinancing RRBs and cooperative banks to operationalise the Budget 2010-11 announcement to ensure that farmers get short-term crop loans at 5% for prompt payment.

"In the last budget, I provided an additional 1% interest subvention as an incentive to those farmers who repay their short-term crop loan as per schedule. I propose to raise this subvention for timely repayment of crop loan from 1% to 2% for 2010-11," the FM had said in his budget speech.

Considering that banks are consistently meeting the agricultural credit flow targets in the past few years, the FM had said that the target for fiscal year 2010-11 had been raised to Rs 3,75,000 crore from Rs 3,25,000 crore in 2009-10.

According to officials, agricultural credit flow by cooperative and public sector banks exceeded the target by 13% in 2009-10. The flow of credit to the agriculture sector increased significantly and banks have surpassed the target by extending Rs 3,67,000 crore worth of loans to farmers.

The banks, including those in the public sector, cooperative and regional rural banks (RRBs), were set a target to lend Rs 3,25,000 crore of credit to farmers last fiscal. Farm credit was extended to as many as 4.82 crore farmers last year and banks gave crop loan to 91 lakh new farmers.

According to official data, public sector banks lent Rs 2,75,000 crore of farm credit, while co-operative and RRBs loaned Rs 58,000 crore and Rs 34,000 crore respectively in 2009-10.

The total farm credit flow in 2009-10 fiscal was higher than the previous year's Rs 3,02,000 crore.

The planned move comes in the backdrop of sharply lower growth registered in the agriculture sector over the years and drought and severe floods in some parts of the country forcing farmers to commit suicide. Public sector banks were, therefore, asked to bring more farmers into the fold of institutional credit and ensure utilisation of loans for actual agriculture purposes, said an official.


The Times of India, 29 July, 2010, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cabinet-to-consider-proposal-on-crop-loans-at-cheaper-rate/articleshow/6229277.cms
 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close