OSCB achieves 46% crop loan target by June end

The state-owned Orissa State Cooperative Bank Limited has disbursed around Rs 1068 crore crop loan to 5.52 lakh farmers in the state during the current kharif agriculture season (as on June 30 this year).

The amount is an achievement of 46 per cent of this year’s target of Rs 2300-crore fixed for the kharif agriculture season which started from April 1.

The bank had disbursed crop loan of Rs 966.62-crore to 5.89 lakh farmers in the state in the corresponding period of last year, sources said.

The current year's disbursal of Rs 1068 crore includes Rs 831.17 crore in cash and Rs 235.84 crore in kind. The bank officials hoped to achieve the target once the agriculture operation gains momentum.

In Kharif-2010, Rs 1811.09-crore crop loan was given to 11.25 lakh farmers in the state in the cooperative sector. Similarly, crop loan advances during Kharif 2009 and 2008 were Rs 1407.81 crore and Rs 546.40-crore respectively.

In the last Rabi season, Rs 1558.02 crore was provided to 8.91 lakh farmers. The achievement in Rabi-2010-11 was around 111 percent.

The overall disbursement of Rs 1558.02 crore during Rabi-2010-11 included Rs 1108.28 crore in cash and Rs 449.74 crore in kind, sources said. In Rabi-2009-10, Rs 1274.35-crore was given to 8.21 lakh farmers in the state.

The cooperative sector accounts for about 80 percent of the total crop loans in the state. The apex bank, Orissa State Cooperative Bank, disburses the loan through Central Cooperative Banks (CCB) and Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS).

Sources said, the achievement of the Balasore CCB was the highest at 73 per cent followed by Khurda at 55 per cent. The Bhawanipatna CCB, at only 26 per cent, was the lowest in terms of target achievement.

The targets and achievements of other CCBs include Sambalpur (Rs 320-crore and 47 per cent), Cuttack (Rs 300-crore and 53 per cent), Banki (Rs 90-crore and 42 per cent), Berhampur (95-crore and 44 per cent), Bolangir (110-crore and 31 per cent ), Boudh (Rs 75-crore and 34 per cent), Koraput (Rs 100-crore and 31 per cent), Mayurbhanj (Rs 85-crore and 43 per cent), Nayagarh (Rs 75-crore and 28 per cent) and Sundergarh (Rs 110-crore and 32 per cent).