Sushil Modi: Banks Asked to Increase Agriculture Credit

Deputy CM of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi addressed an interactive meeting organized by NABARD. The meeting involved government representatives, bankers and other stakeholders. 

While addressing the meeting Sushil Kumar Modi said, “NABARD and other banks should make increased credit lending activities in the agriculture sector in the next fiscal, as it was the only area that could absorb loan since the state did not have big industrial units.” 

He further added, “It is true that we don’t have big industrial units. Therefore, bankers should increase lending in the agriculture sector and its allied areas which have the capacity to absorb loan. If no loan is given in this sector, the state will face enormous problems.”  

Agriculture Minister, Prem Kumar; S Siddharth, Finance Department Principal Secretary; RBI Regional Director, M P Topno and SBI CGM G.S. Negi also addressed the meeting. 

Interesting part of the meeting was the ‘state focus paper’ that assessed the credit potential of the state for 2019-20 was also unveiled at the meeting organized by NABARD. It was precursor to the preparation of the Annual Credit Plan (ACP) for the state pertaining to the next financial year to be unveiled in February-March. 

S K Majumdar, Chief General Manager of NABARD said, “The credit potential for the state in the next fiscal had been assessed at Rs 1.29 lakh crore, which was only marginally more (or 5.37%) than Rs 1.22 lakh crore that had been assessed for 2018-19. The ACP for 2018-19 was Rs 93,000 crore. The actual ACP is prepared making sectoral allotments for credit lending to farmers and others concerned in the priority sector. It is technically based on discussions held with the stakeholders on the credit potential.” 

Majumdar further said, “The stress of the focus paper was on ‘sustainable agriculture practices’. According to the focus paper, in the priority sector, the total lending for agriculture and allied activities is to the tune of Rs 76,631.86 crore, including crop loan worth Rs 48,110.92 crore (or 37.3% of the total), agriculture and allied activities (dairy, fishery, poultry) Rs 18,012.15 crore (or 14%), agriculture infrastructure Rs 5,196.78 crore and ancillary activities Rs 5,312.01 crore. 

In the micro, small and medium enterprises sector, the allotment is to the tune of Rs 23,828.45 crore (or 18.5%), besides the allotment for the self-help groups (SHGs), joint liability groups and other such bodies has been put at Rs 8,730.80 crore (or 6.8%). 

Agriculture Minister, Prem Kumar gave the details of diversified activities in the agriculture sector, like organic farming. S Siddharth said, “The bankers should pay attention to credit lending activities with a view to increase the state’s credit-deposit (CD) ratio from the existing 43% to the desirable 60%.