In an effort to prevent harassment to farmers, the cooperative sector agriculture loan disbursement has commenced in Sundargarh, even as the district level agriculture strategy committee (DLASC) is yet to finalize the schedule for the kharif program.
For the upcoming kharif season, the district aims to provide agricultural loans amounting to Rs 670 crore. As of June 5, approximately Rs 212 crore has already been disbursed to individual farmers, women self-help groups (SHGs), and joint liability groups (JLGs) of share-croppers under the BALARM (Bhoomihina Agriculturist Loan And Resources Model) scheme.
US Das, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies (DRCS), Sundargarh, stated that 21,483 small and marginal farmers have received around Rs 191.80 crore, while 759 JLGs of share-croppers were granted Rs 2.93 crore under the scheme. Additionally, 579 women SHGs have received approximately Rs 16.27 crore in cash and kind to support their agricultural activities. The loan disbursement process will continue until September and is facilitated through the District Central Cooperative Bank and 44 large and multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPCS).
Apart from the cooperative sector, the commercial sector's agriculture loan target for the district is set at around Rs 240 crore, which is disbursed through nationalized and private sector banks. The cooperative sector's agriculture loan plays a vital role in supporting small and medium farmers who heavily rely on loan assistance to prepare their fields, purchase seeds, fertilizers, and other necessary resources.
The DLASC finalizes its agriculture agenda after receiving the relevant targets from the SLASC (State Level Agriculture Strategy Committee). However, due to the delay in the SLASC meeting, the DLASC meeting has been postponed. Sundargarh, being a rain-fed district, heavily depends on the monsoon for a successful kharif crop.
As the monsoon season approaches, farmers are diligently preparing to make the most of the rain for cultivation. Based on the agricultural activities of the previous kharif season, the district agriculture authorities have devised a crop program for the current season, allowing room for minor adjustments.
