AgribusinessFrom October 2026 the FSA keeps its Application Fast Track for direct-loan borrowers with strong repayment records, lets experienced lenders handle more guaranteed-loan reviews, and plans electronic applications in early 2027.
CropsZuko Godlimpi told a grower finance workshop that smallholders should be helped to pool their land to become bankable, and that existing funds should be better aligned before new money is sought.
AgribusinessThe government has paid off Tk 1,352.74 crore of farm loans of up to Tk 10,000, with interest, for 1,434,482 smallholder farmers.
CropsLand reform minister Mzwanele Nyhontso launched a programme that gives every province R100m to R170m this year for funding, technical help, infrastructure and market access for beneficiary farmers.
AgribusinessWith US farm debt forecast at a record $624.7 billion and working capital falling, lenders told DTN they will look hardest at working capital, total debt coverage and debt-to-worth when farmers renew loans for 2027.
AgribusinessThe state drought sub-committee also fixed subsidised fodder prices, approved desilting grants and will decide next week on adding more areas to the drought list.
AgribusinessOfficials, commercial farmers and investors at the Agricultural Development Agency's conference in Boksburg said land reform must come with water, infrastructure, timely finance and market access.
AgribusinessThe new SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program will back commercial lenders with a 90 percent guarantee so that small and regional plants can expand and diversify processing, with seafood included for the first time.
FruitsGrain commerce platform Arya.ag is moving into apples in Himachal Pradesh, grading fruit with AI-enabled scanners near orchards, holding it in controlled-atmosphere storage and lending against the graded, insured stock.
AgribusinessBangladesh Bank raised this year's agricultural and rural credit target from Tk 39,000 crore to Tk 60,000 crore, but banks lent Tk 6,858 crore in July and August, 11.43 percent of it; defaults have risen to 42.38 percent of farm loans.
AgribusinessAt Agda's conference, Mathews Phosa said many emerging farmers have not yet had the chance to be banked, and Wandile Sihlobo forecast 8% to 9% farm growth in 2026 amid 20-30% higher fuel and fertiliser costs.
AgribusinessBRAC Bank will assess farmers' and input dealers' creditworthiness from their digital transaction histories in a two-year, Gates Foundation-backed pilot reaching 50,000 farmers and 1,500 input sellers; IFPRI will evaluate the impact.
AgrotechA BIDS-IFPRI study finds only 2 percent of farmers own machinery and combine harvesting rose from 1 percent in 2018 to 20 percent in 2023, yet banks finance little of what is bought.
