LAHORE: Growers and farmers community Sunday urged the State of Pakistan (SBP) to immediately implement Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee (ACAC) recommendations regarding address of geographical and sub-sectoral disparities in agriculture credit distribution.
Talking to APP here, Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) Senior Vice President Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan and Pakistan Muttahida Kisan Mahaaz (PMKM) President Muhammad Ayub Mayo said that banks usually prefer providing agricultural lending facility only to influential growers/ farmers, and ignore the small and genuine ones.
Quoting a news report published in a section of the press, the Kisan leaders said that following the ACAC advice, the SBP is considering setting sub-sector and district-wise targets for banks. With this target pattern, they hoped that geographical and sub-sectoral disparities in agriculture credit distribution would be addressed with farm-less-banked agri-business getting better access to finances.
Kisan Board SVP Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan said that banks try to meet SBP monetary targets of agricultural credit by lending more to old borrowers, or by making fresh loans to new and influential farmers. The respective banks, he complained, least bother to facilitate the small farmers, or focus on a particular region and specific areas of farming for agri lending.
He argued that 86.8 per cent of farm/land is held by small farmers i.e. 58 per cent of farmers owned one to five acres of agri land, and 28.8 per cent owned 5 to 12.5 acres of agri land, adding that country’s per acre yield is low against its potential and most of the population is attached with the agriculture sector.
Sarfaraz said, “Small farmers are most deserving and genuine segment of agri sector and they must be given agri loans on priority basis to enable them to adopt new technological farming methods and use the best quality seeds, guaranteeing enhanced yield.”
He stressed the departments concerned to devise a programme for creating awareness among farmers about modern methods of agriculture and motivate them to use new agri techniques. He said that all stakeholders, especially KBP being the biggest body of farmers, must be taken onboard regarding agriculture policymaking.
He said that more facilities for farmers, especially small and medium growers, will definitely help achieve agri targets. It will enhance the positive impact of Rs 100 billion agriculture package, announced by the prime minister. It will also ensure social uplift and alleviate poverty in the country, he added.
Ayub Mayo welcomed the ACAC recommendations to this regard, adding that farmer community had long been showing its reservations and pressing the banks to end unevenness in the credit delivery, whether geographical or sub-sectoral.
