Andhra Pradesh pushes banks to step up credit flow to tenant farmers

The Andhra Pradesh government has placed Crop Cultivator Rights Cards (CCRCs) at the centre of its tenant farmer empowerment drive, reaffirming its commitment to provide institutional credit and extend welfare schemes to cultivators without land titles.

At a virtual State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) review meeting on Monday, Budithi Rajsekhar, EO Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation), directed banks and officials to ensure that all eligible CCRC holders receive crop loans in line with the prescribed Scale of Finance for 2025–26. He stressed that tenant farmers must not be denied credit and sought strict monitoring by banks and district authorities.

Director of Agriculture Dilli Rao reported that in 2024–25, CCRC issuance touched 91% of the target, facilitating tenant lending of ₹4,474.11 crore against the target of ₹4,000 crore. For 2025–26, 5.99 lakh CCRCs (including 75,858 renewals) have already been issued, and ₹838 crore disbursed against the ₹8,000 crore crop loan target.

He urged district officers to expedite CCRC issuance, verify eligibility, and motivate farmers to approach banks, while ensuring compliance with the Andhra Pradesh Crop Cultivators Rights Act, 2019. The meeting also flagged the need for closer coordination between bankers and Lead District Managers to streamline sanctioning and disbursal.

Calling for full cooperation from banks, Mr. Rao said the government is committed to protecting tenant farmers’ interests by ensuring reliable access to credit and agricultural growth opportunities.