Interest Subvention on Short-Term Crop Loans for 2012-13
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/228 · issued 28 Sep 2012 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI extends 2% interest subvention to PSBs for short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh at 7% p.a. to farmers in 2012-13. Prompt payers get additional 3% subvention, reducing effective rate to 4% p.a. Claims submission deadlines and formats specified.
The rule, in the simplest words
Banks must give short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh at 7% interest per year to farmers, and the government will pay the bank 2% of that interest.
If a farmer repays the loan within one year, the bank can charge only 4% interest per year, and the government will pay the bank an extra 3% interest.
Small and marginal farmers with a Kisan Credit Card (a special card for farmers) can also get the same low interest for up to six months after harvest if they store their crops in a warehouse.
Banks must tell farmers about this scheme so they know they can get cheap loans.
How it plays out — a real example
An agri & priority-sector lending officer in Indore, Priya, processes a short-term crop loan of Rs.2.5 lakh for a farmer named Ravi. She sets the interest at 7% per year, knowing the government will give her bank a 2% subvention. When Ravi repays the loan within 10 months, Priya adjusts the effective rate to 4% per year and later submits a claim for the additional 3% subvention, making sure Ravi benefits from the lower rate.
What changed
The Government of India continues the interest subvention scheme for 2012-13, providing 2% subvention to Public Sector Banks for short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh at 7% p.a. An additional 3% subvention is available for prompt-paying farmers who repay within one year, bringing their effective rate to 4% p.a. The scheme also extends post-harvest loan subvention for up to six months against negotiable warehouse receipts for small and marginal farmers with Kisan Credit Cards.
What it means for you
Public Sector Banks must ensure short-term production credit up to Rs.3 lakh is offered at 7% p.a. to farmers to claim the 2% subvention. For prompt payers, banks can offer an effective rate of 4% p.a. and claim the additional 3% subvention. Banks need to submit half-yearly claims for the 2% subvention and a one-time consolidated claim for the 3% additional subvention by April 30, 2014, with statutory auditor certification.
What you must do
Disburse short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh at 7% p.a. to farmers to qualify for 2% subvention.
Identify prompt-paying farmers who repay within one year and apply effective rate of 4% p.a. to claim additional 3% subvention.
Submit half-yearly claims for 2% subvention as at September 30, 2012 and March 31, 2013, with statutory auditor certificate for the year-end claim.
Submit one-time consolidated claim for 3% additional subvention for 2012-13 by April 30, 2014, duly audited.
Give adequate publicity to the scheme so farmers can avail benefits.
Who it affects
All Public Sector Banks, Farmers availing short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh, Small and marginal farmers with Kisan Credit Cards
❓ Common questions
What is the effective interest rate for prompt-paying farmers under this scheme?
Prompt-paying farmers who repay their short-term crop loan within one year get an additional 3% subvention, reducing the effective rate to 4% p.a. from the base 7% p.a.
What is the deadline for submitting claims for the additional 3% subvention?
Banks must submit a one-time consolidated claim for the additional 3% subvention for the entire year 2012-13 by April 30, 2014, with statutory auditor certification.
Does the subvention apply to post-harvest loans?
Yes, small and marginal farmers with Kisan Credit Cards can avail the same interest subvention on post-harvest loans up to six months against negotiable warehouse receipts for storing produce.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/228
RPCD.No.FSD.BC.31/05.04.02/2012-13
September 28, 2012
The Chairman/Managing Director
All Public Sector Banks
Dear Sir,
Union Budget – 2012-13 – Interest Subvention Scheme – 2 per cent interest subvention and 3 per cent additional subvention for short-term crop loans in 2012-13
As you are aware, the Hon’ble Finance Minister, in his Budget Speech (paragraph 80) for 2012-13 had announced as follows:
"The interest subvention scheme for providing short term loans to farmers at 7 per cent interest per annum will be continued in 2012-13. An additional subvention of three per cent will be available to prompt paying farmers. In addition, the same interest subvention on post harvest loans up to six months against negotiable warehouse receipt will also be available. This will encourage the farmers to keep their produce in warehouses."
2. In pursuance of this announcement, Government of India will provide interest subvention of 2 % p.a. to Public Sector Banks in respect of short-term production credit up to Rs.3 lakh during the year 2012-13. This amount of subvention will be calculated on the crop loan amount from the date of its disbursement/drawal up to the date of actual repayment of the crop loan by the farmer or up to the due date of the loan fixed by the banks for the repayment of the loan, whichever is earlier, subject to a maximum period of one year. This subvention will be available to Public Sector Banks on the condition that they make available short-term production credit up to Rs. 3 lakh at ground level at 7% p.a.
3. Besides, Government of India will also provide additional interest subvention of 3% p.a. to Public Sector Banks in respect of those prompt paying farmers who repay their short-term production credit within one year of disbursement/drawal of such loans. This subvention will be available to such farmers on a maximum amount of Rs.3 lakh availed of by them during the year, from the date of disbursement/drawal of the crop loan up to the actual date of repayment by farmers or up to the due date fixed by the bank for repayment of crop loan, whichever is earlier, subject to a maximum period of one year from the date of disbursement. This additional subvention will be available to Public Sector Banks on the condition that the effective rate of interest on short-term production credit up to Rs. 3 lakh for such farmers will now be 4 % p.a. This benefit would not accrue to those farmers who repay after one year of availing such loans.
4. Similar to the previous year (2011-12), the benefits of interest subvention will also be available to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of up to six months post harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan against negotiable warehouse receipt for keeping their produce in warehouses.
5. Banks may give adequate publicity to the above scheme so that the farmers can avail the benefits.
6. It is also advised as under:-
i) Claims in respect of 2 % interest subvention and 3 % additional interest subvention may be submitted in Formats I and II (enclosed herewith) respectively to the Chief General Manager, Rural Planning and Credit Department, Reserve Bank of India, Central Office, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Fort, Mumbai – 400 001.
ii) In respect of 2 % interest subvention, banks are required to submit their claims on a half-yearly basis as at September 30, 2012 and March 31, 2013, of which, the latter needs to be accompanied by a Statutory Auditor’s certificate certifying the claims for subvention for the entire year ended March 31, 2013 as true and correct. Any remaining claim pertaining to the disbursements made during the year 2012-13 and not included in the claim for March 31, 2013, may be consolidated separately and marked as an 'Additional Claim' and submitted latest by April 30, 2014, duly audited by Statutory Auditors certifying the correctness.
iii) In respect of the 3% additional subvention, banks may submit their one-time consolidated claims pertaining to the disbursements made during the entire year 2012-13 latest by April 30, 2014, duly audited by Statutory Auditors certifying the correctness.
7. In case of RRBs and co-operatives, a separate circular will be issued by NABARD.
Yours faithfully,
(C. D. Srinivasan)
Chief General Manager
Encl: Two
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/228 · issued 28 Sep 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All Public Sector Banks, Farmers availing short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh, Small and marginal farmers with Kisan Credit Cards), your first concrete step on “Interest Subvention on Short-Term Crop Loans for 2012-13” is: “Disburse short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh at 7% p.a. to farmers to qualify for 2% subvention.” (RBI issued this 28 Sep 2012).
Circular: RBI/2012-13/228 -- Interest Subvention on Short-Term Crop Loans for 2012-13
Issued: 28 Sep 2012
Action required: Disburse short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh at 7% p.a. to farmers to qualify for 2% subvention.
Action required: Identify prompt-paying farmers who repay within one year and apply effective rate of 4% p.a. to claim additional 3% subvention.
Action required: Submit half-yearly claims for 2% subvention as at September 30, 2012 and March 31, 2013, with statutory auditor certificate for the year-end claim.
Action required: Submit one-time consolidated claim for 3% additional subvention for 2012-13 by April 30, 2014, duly audited.
Action required: Give adequate publicity to the scheme so farmers can avail benefits.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=7595&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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