State-run Andhra Pradesh State Agro Industries Development Corporation Limited will play the catalyst role in the procurement of agriculture equipment by farmers through loans from the Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank (APGB).
The APGB proposes to lend about ₹100 crore this financial year to interested farmers and farmer groups in Andhra Pradesh for improving productivity in agricultural operations and the expert advice and procurement part will be done by the A.P. Agros, while the bank was ready to lend from ₹20,000 to ₹20 lakh for procuring the sophisticated farm equipment.
Workshop organised
Managers of 25 branches of the bank from Kurnool, Kadapa, Nellore, Prakasam and Anantapur attended a day-long familiarisation workshop on the agriculture equipment available with the A.P. Agros here.
The A.P. Agros Regional Manager B.V. Krishna Reddy and Agriculture Engineer M.C. Naresh explained in detail about various benefits of using the equipment that they give on hire to farmers for various operations.
While the bank managers had first-hand experience on the equipment available in Anantapur, they were given information about other useful equipment that could be procured either within the country or from foreign countries. A PowerPoint presentation was made for each and every equipment its utility for small, medium and large farmers for different crops.
The bank also looks at the possibility of lending larger amounts to a producers’ collective or cooperative so that they could procure equipment and give it on hire to smaller farmers, the bank Regional Director K.V. Phani Rajkumar, who attended the programme, explained.
