Tiruchi district farmers have appealed to primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) to extend assistance for allied activities also, besides agriculture.
Participating in a special meeting organised by the Tiruchirappalli District Central Cooperative Bank to hear agriculturists’ grievances here on Wednesday, leaders of farmers’ associations said that there was a need to provide loans for sinking bore wells, deepening wells and buying milch animals, besides crop loans. S. S. Govindan of Desiya Uzhavar Sangam and Mani of Uyyakondan Paasana Vaikkal Uzhavar Mandram said that the societies should extend loans for allied farm activities.
The State president of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, Masilamani, appealed to the apex bank to send a circular on the terms and conditions for sanctioning crop loans to all primary agricultural cooperative societies and representatives of farmers’ associations. The State president of Tamil Nadu Eeri Matrum Aatru Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam, Viswanathan, called for the immediate sanction of loans for sugarcane harvest on receipt of applications.
The meeting was convened by the district central cooperative bank to mitigate the hardships faced by farmers in the distribution of loans, seeds and fertilizers through primary cooperative societies, according to an official release. The suggestion for an exclusive meeting was made by the Collector, Jayashree Muralidharan. The Managing Director of the bank, M. Mirunalini, appealed to the farmers to contact the Chief Revenue Officer, S. Parthiban (mobile phone 94893 03858), if they faced any problems in obtaining loans. The government had fixed a target of Rs.180 crore for disbursal as crop loans by the bank during the current year, she said.
Farmers were assured that their request for effecting a change in period of repayment for medium term loans and loans taken for banana crop would be forwarded to the Registrar of Cooperative Societies for consideration. Leaders of farmers’ associations, progressive farmers and officials of departments of agriculture and revenue participated . T. Prabaharan, GM, welcomed the gathering.
