Rs. 6,500 crore crop loans this fiscal, says Minister

The State government has fixed a target to provide loans to the tune of Rs. 6,500 crore during the 2016-17 financial year, Cooperative and Labour Welfare Minister said on Friday.

Distributing agricultural inputs and financial assistance to farmers at a function held here, Minister Raju said farm loans to the tune of Rs. 186.81 crore had been disbursed till May 31 to over 31,000 farmers.

Direct Procurement Centres have been opened to procure ‘copra’ in 20 districts where it was being produced in huge quantities.

The centres had been established following requests from coconut growers, the Minister said.

The Minister distributed on the occasion loans to the tune of Rs. 16 lakh given through the Cooperative Department to 97 farmers to enable them raise vegetables.

Earlier, Mr. Raju inaugurated a Farm Fresh outlet at Chinthamani Cooperative outlet at Kamarajar Nagar in Ariyamangalam area.

He also inspected the functioning of the Farm Fresh outlet at Srirangam.

Vellamandi N. Natarajan, Tourism Minister, S.Valarmathi, Minister of Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, R.Palanisamy, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, and others participated.