Institutional Credit Flow to Agriculture in West Bengal An Economic Analysis

Agriculture contributes more than 24 per cent of GDP and employs 64 per cent of the work force in India. Share of agriculture in total credit in India halved from 21 per cent in 1970s to 11.4 per cent in 2006. Credit supports output growth, price stability, and poverty alleviation - the basic objectives of economic development. Agriculture in the State of West Bengal starves of institutional credit against enormous potentiality available. The book portrays arrangements and level of credit delivery in agriculture in the State of West Bengal. Contribution of banking and Insurance in State Domestic Product in 2004 - 05 is 7.51 per cent whereas tertiary sector contributed 17.81 per cent in the same period. Agricultural credit in West Bengal remained at 8 per cent over the years from 1992 to 2006 whereas in India it remains much above 8 per cent even after going down from 15 per cent in 1992. Financing through Self-Help Groups is an innovative approach tested positively with tremendous potentiality to carry forward agricultural credit.