Fix uniform repayment tenure for all interest-free crop loans, say farmers

‘Salem District Central Cooperative Bank allows 12 months repayment tenure for all interest-free crop loans and interest is levied only for those farmers who repay after the stipulated tenure’

A plea to Tiruchi District Central Cooperative Bank to fix the repayment tenure for all crop loans at 12 months and complaints of fleecing by private fertilizer retail traders and illegal mining of gravel from waterbodies were among the major issues raised by farmers at the monthly grievance redress meeting here on Friday.

Raising the issue of repayment tenure for crop loans at the meeting chaired by Collector M. Pradeep Kumar, R. Raja Chidambaram, State secretary, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said primary agricultural cooperative societies were extending loans with varying repayment tenures for different crops. While the repayment tenure for interest-free loans for crops such as sugarcane, tapioca, turmeric, betel vine and banana has been fixed as 12 months, farmers who availed themselves loans for raising paddy, maize, sunflower, onion and vegetables such as brinjal and ladies finger were required to repay the loans within eight months. The repayment tenure for cotton farmers was nine months, he said.

However, Mr. Chidambaram claimed that the Salem District Central Cooperative Bank was allowing 12 months repayment tenure for all interest-free crop loans and interest is levied only for those repaying beyond the stipulated tenure. The Tiruchi bank should also fix the scale of finance for each crop and the repayment tenure for all interest-free crop loans as 12 months, he said.

Earlier, in response to a query raised by P. Viswanathan, president Tamizhaga Eri Mattrum Attru Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam, an official of the Agriculture Department informed the farmers that about 16,580 farmers who suffered damage to their cotton, maize and paddy crops during 2021-22 have been sanctioned compensation under the crop insurance scheme.

P. Ayyakannu, president, Desiya Thennidiya Nadigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, complained that some of the fertilizer dealers in Gandhi Market area in Tiruchi were fleecing farmers by heavily overpricing fertilizers such as gypsum and urged the Collector to initiate action against them.

Mr. Viswanathan urged the district administration to check “illegal mining” of gravel under the pretext of lifting vandal (tank sediments) from some waterbodies. Mr. Pradeep Kumar directed the Assistant Director of Mines to make an inspection and file a report. He also sought steps to capture and relocate monkeys which were raiding crops.

Earlier, the Collector, while expressing displeasure at the absence of Assistant Conservator of Forests, instructed a couple of forest rangers to leave the meeting venue.