The Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) on Wednesday said that it was catering to the credit needs of agriculture sector in an efficient and prudent manner, and during January-April 2004, the bank disbursed credit amounting to Rs 7994.402 million, of which 84 percent went to small farmers.
Further, in order to facilitate the farmers to get timely credit and to save them from the cumbersome procedure, Rs 4099.601 million was provided under revolving finance scheme.
Under the scheme the documentation is done only once and loan is sanctioned for three years and the farmer can get the loan twice annually, for Rabi and Kharif crops, without any further documentation and repaying the previous due amount only.
Majority of farmers in Pakistan falls in the category of poor farmers and need financial assistance for each crop.
ZTBL helps them at all stages and provides short term production loans for the purchase of better seed, appropriate doses of fertiliser and pesticides. During January-April, 2004 ZTBL disbursed 77.9 percent ie Rs 6230.305 of total loans as production loans.