Introduced in 1982, as pledge finance scheme and renamed as Rythu Bandhu Pathakam in 1995. Financing against 75 % value of produce stored in godowns (ceiling Rs. 2 Lakhs per farmer, no interest upto 180 days). During 2017-18, Rs. 54.08 Crores advanced to 4723 farmers. During 2016-17, Rs. 33.43 Crores financed to 3414 farmers. following is the progress during last 4 years under the scheme
| S.NO | Year | No. of Farmers benefitted | Amount (Rs. In Lakhs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-19 (Upto January) | 3238 | 4051.13 |
| 2 | 2017-18 | 4723 | 5407.65 |
| 3 | 2016-17 | 3890 | 4374.35 |
| 4 | 2015-16 | 3414 | 3342.66 |
| 5 | 2014-15 | 3145 | 2601.60 |
Efforts are made to strengthen and expand Rythu Bandhu Pathakam (RBP) by covering large number of small and marginal farmers (from current number of 4700 to 5500) and to expand the range of produce (from mere Paddy to various other produce such as other cereals, millets, grams, oil seeds etc) during the current year(2018-19).