The state-owned banks have so far achieved 46.54 percent target of disbursing special agriculture credit at 2 per cent interest rate in the current fiscal year, although only four months to go.

Up to the month of February this year, total disbursement of agriculture loan under a Bangladesh Bank programme reached Tk 408.07 million while the target is set at Tk 960.5 million for the fiscal, showed the data released by Bangladesh Bank.

The data also showed that the special agriculture loan disbursed in first three days of March this year was Tk 38.98 million, totaling to Tk 447.04 million.

The loans are being disbursed to the farmers for producing pulse, oil seeds, spices and maize, while the spice producers remain the highest loan taker during the period. The loans taken by the spice producers stood at Tk 348.46 million till March 3 of the fiscal year.

The disbursing banks include Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB), Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) and Rupali Bank Ltd.

Sonali Bank Ltd achieved 31.20 per cent, Janata 50.53 per cent, Agrani 50.35 per cent, BKB 57.13 per cent, RAKUB 58.81 per cent and Rupali Bank Ltd 14.51 per cent of the targets set for them individually.

A Bangladesh Bank official said the impact of the special agriculture credit has already started to fall in market prices of those agricultural products on which loans are being disbursed.

News: Daily Sun/  Bangladesh/Mar-09-2011