Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy asked bankers on Thursday to expedite issue of crop loans to farmers in view of the agricultural operations picking up.
This year, as against the target of Rs 67,224-crore, crop loans worth just Rs13,951 crore have been disbursed so far. Sanction of loans for kharif is under progress and all the bankers have been requested to release crop loans as per scales of finance.
The chief minister reviewed the Kharif 2013 preparedness with agriculture minister Kanna Lakshminarayana and officials at a meeting on agriculture and seasonal conditions at the Secretariat here on Thursday. For 2013-14, more than Rs 500 crore will be paid under Vaddi Leni Runalu on crop loans up to Rs 1 lakh and Rs 60 crore under the Pavala Vaddi scheme. The chief minister agreed to allow 256 assistant directors of agriculture to hire private vehicles.
Officials told the chief minister that as against the normal area of 81.12 lakh hectares sown in the kharif season, it is estimated that an area of 86.95 lakh hectares will be covered during kharif season. Food grain production is also estimated to be 119.34 lakh tonnes.