'R'than govt to set up agri-processing unit in each district'

At least one agriculture processing unit will be set up in every district to boost farmers' income in the state, Cooperatives Registrar Neeraj K Pawan said.

In a meeting of managing directors of all central cooperative banks on Monday, Pawan said that proposals will be invited from all village level cooperative societies by March 2020 and the process of disbursing loans will be started as per the state government's policy.

He said that in order to increase farmers' income through agro-processing industries, the state government has set up a fund of Rs 500 crore.

Applications for setting up of agricultural processing unit has to be sent to the Agricultural Marketing Board.

The registrar said that crop loans should be increased by 25 per cent in the kharif season starting from April 1, 2020 compared to the last season.

He also said that crop loan of Rs 8,244 crore has been disbursed to farmers in the year 2019-20.

The loans to the remaining eligible farmers should be disbursed by March 31, 2020. He also gave instructions to set targets for crop loan disbursement for the year 2020-21.