HYDERABAD:Ahead of kharif season, the Andhra Pradesh government has begun persuading bankers to grant agricultural loans to farmers in the State liberally.
Amid reports of apprehensions among farmers of not getting sufficient crop loans in the wake of banks deciding to apply ‘scale of finance’ while lending, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday held a meeting with bankers at the Lake View Guesthouse here.
He asked various bankers to increase lending to agriculture and allied activities. He also asked them to lend money to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs and women of Self-help groups (SHG), besides seeking bankers’ support for State Development Loans (SDLs).
“Given that the food habits of people are changing, there is rising demand for poultry, fish and horticulture. Allied sectors (of agriculture) generate more jobs and hence, you can look at ways to lend to farmers relying on these activities,” he said.
Naidu asked bankers to take AP as a pilot State for new income-generating activities.