Karnataka Bank has set an agriculture credit target of Rs 1,300 crore for 2013-14.

Inaugurating the ‘Agri Business Conference 2013’ of the bank here on Wednesday, P. Jayarama Bhat, Managing Director of the bank, said that the bank has set an agriculture credit target of Rs 1,300 crore for 2013-14 to maintain the level of agricultural advances above 18 per cent.

To boost agriculture lending, nine branches of the bank — Kolar, Hunsur, Kundapur, Bijapur, Mahalingpur, Shahapur, Bommanhal, Kurnool and Nandyala — have been designated as agricultural development branches.

He congratulated the regional heads, branch heads and agricultural field officers for achieving the agricultural credit of 18 per cent during 2012-13.

He asked them to continue the best efforts to lend to agriculture sector and maintain the agricultural credit level above 18 per cent during the current fiscal also.

General Managers, P. Jairama Hande, N. Upendra Prabhu, M.S. Mahabaleshwar and Meera Aranha, spoke on the occasion.