Agriculture Finance in India
Professional moneylenders were the only source of credit to agriculture till 1935. They use to charge unduly high rates of interest and follow serious practices while giving loans and recovering them. As a result, farmers were heavily burdened with debts and many of them perpetuated debts. There were widespread discontents among farmers against these practices and there were instances of riots also.  

With the passing of Reserve Bank of India Act 1934, District Central Co-op. Banks Act and Land Development Banks Act, agricultural credit received impetons and there were improvements in agricultural credit. A powerful alternative agency came into being. Large-scale credit became available with reasonable rates of interest at easy terms, both in terms of granting loans and recovery of them. Both the co-operative banks advance credit mostly to agriculture. First bank advances short-term and medium term loans while the second bank advances long-term loans. The Reserve Bank of India as the Central bank of the country took lead in making credit available to agriculture through these banks by laying down suitable policies.

Although the co-operative banks started financing agriculture with their establishments in 1930’s real impetons was received only after Independence when suitable legislation were passed and policies were formulated. There after, bank credit to agriculture made phenomenal progress by opening branches in rural areas and attracting deposits.

Till 14 major commercial banks were nationalized in 1969, co-operative banks were the main institutional agencies providing finance to agriculture. After nationalization, it was made mandatory for these banks to provide finance to agriculture as a priority sector. These banks undertook special programs of branch expansion and created a network of banking services through out the country and started financing agriculture on large scale. Thus agriculture credit acquired multi-agency dimension. Development and adoption of new technologies and availability of finance go hand in hand. In bringing "Green Revolution", "White Revolution" and now "Yellow Revolution" finance has played a crucial role. Now the agriculture credit, through multi agency approach has come to stay.

The procedures and amount of loans for various purposes have been standardized. Among the various purposes "Crop loans" (Short-term loan) has the major share. In addition, farmers get loans for purchase of electric motor with pump, tractor and other machinery, digging wells or boring wells, installation of pipe lines, drip irrigation, planting fruit orchards, purchase of dairy animals and feeds/fodder for them, poultry, sheep/goat keeping and for many other allied enterprises.