SAHIWAL, Dec 14: The wide disparity between private and public banks in relation to the mark-up rates of agriculture loans is a matter of concern for district government officials, particularly the revenue department.

Officials of the district government demanded that the 18 per cent mark-up on agriculture loans charged by private banks should be reduced.

It is learnt that the district coordination officer had called a meeting of stakeholders to review the availability of agriculture loans from commercial and public banks to growers for the on-going major crops cultivation.

Officials of district agriculture department, district revenue department, Zarai Tarraqiati Bank Limited and heads of local commercial banks were also present.

All commercial and private banks are charging 18 per cent mark-up from growers while the Zarai Tarraqiati Bank Limited is charging as low as eight per cent mark-up on agriculture loans.

Expressing their concern, district revenue officials fear that the cost of production of crops will increase if the disparity in the mark-up rates is not removed.

A local official of the ZTBL said the bank had disbursed around Rs2 billion loans to farmers for the Rabi crop under the one-window operation.

It is learnt that around Rs50 million sanctioned agriculture loans will soon be disbursed among farmers. District government officials requested the heads of commercial banks to reduce the mark-up rate to facilitate farmers.

DCO Muhammad Khan directed patwaris and other revenue officials to update the revenue record so that farmers could easily get loans from banks.