Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday fixed the current fiscal’s target of loan disbursement to agriculture and rural sectors at Tk 14,595 crore, up 3.29 percent than the loan disbursed during the fiscal 2012-13.The target was declared at the launching of the ‘Agriculture and Rural Credit Policy and Programme for the FY 2013-14’, at the Bangladesh Bank Bhaban.
The policy document also noted that the total agri and rural loan disbursement of the fiscal 2012-13 stood at Tk 14,667.59, which exceeded the target by 3.8 percent.
Speaking on the occasion, BB governor Atiur Rahman said besides boosting the target of the agri and rural credit disbursement for the current fiscal, some new sectors, including coastal fish culture, preservation and marketing of agri produces, bio fertiliser (vermin compost) production and environment friendly agriculture, have been incorporated in the credit programme.
Cultivation of some fruits, including palm oil, has also been brought under the programme, he added.
Atiur said the central bank has decided to keep unchanged the condition of disbursing at least 2.5 percent of the total credit of all commercial banks as agri and rural credits.
The policy document also noted that the six new banks will have to disburse at least five percent of their total credit to the agri and rural sectors defined by the Policy.
According to the document, out of the Tk 14,667.59 crore agri credit disbursed by the financial institutions in the last fiscal, 63.51 percent was disbursed to small and marginal farmers and 7.55 percent to sharecroppers.
The women farmers received Tk 1,245.09 crore credit, covering 8.5 percent of the total disbursement.
Besides, Brac disbursed Tk 449.69 crore credit to sharecroppers under a BB refinancing scheme, while Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) disbursed another Tk 595.19 core agri and rural credit in the last fiscal. – UNB
