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Banks disbursed 9.60 per cent of their annual target of agricultural loans in the first two months of the current financial year.According to the Bangladesh Bank data released on Tuesday, from July to August of the FY2012-13, banks collectively disbursed Tk 1,356.53 crore in farm loans against the annual disbursement target of Tk 14,130 crore.BB officials told New Age on Tuesday that farmers had taken significant amount of farm loans from the banks during the aman harvesting session in July to August.BB data showed that the farm loan disbursement by the banks in the first two months of the FY 13 increased by 17.65 per cent compared with that of the same period of the FY 12.The banks disbursed Tk 1,152.97 crore in farm loans in the first two months of FY 12. BB data, however, showed that five commercial banks had not disbursed any farm loan in the two months.The five banks are Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank NA, Habib Bank, State Bank of India and Bangladesh Commerce Bank.Farmers usually take more farm loans in the aman harvesting period than the other months of the year, a BB official said.So, agricultural loan disbursement in the two months slightly increased, he said.He, however, said dependency on the bank loans by the farmers increased due to a rise in the prices of agricultural equipment and fertiliser.Another BB official said that the central bank would continue to take stern action against the banks which would fail to meet the annual target of farm loan disbursement.
In FY 12, BB had cut as penalty three per cent of the non-disbursed farm loans from the banks’ money deposited in the central bank, he said.
Under the circumstances, the banks took measures to disburse more farm loans to avoid the BB’s action, he said.
BB data showed that the state-owned commercial banks — Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali — and the two specialised banks — Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank — disbursed Tk 700.34 crore or 8.14 per cent of their annual loan disbursement target of Tk 8,607 crore in July to August.
The private and foreign commercial banks disbursed Tk 656.19 crore in agricultural loans in July to August, which was 11.88 per cent of their total annual loan disbursement target of Tk 5,523 crore.

Source : newagebd