Tea Plantation Loan: Primary Cooperative Agriculture & Rural Development Bank — Frequently Asked Questions

The loan works out at a maximum of ₹33,000 for each acre of eligible tea plantation. Your actual sanction depends on how many acres you are planting or extending, so a bigger plan supports a bigger loan.

Interest is charged at 11% to 12.5% per annum. The exact rate is subject to prevailing bank policy and can be revised from time to time, so it is worth confirming the current rate at your local bank office.

You need to be a bona fide resident of Tamil Nadu and actively involved in farming. You must also intend to establish or expand a tea plantation, and use the loan money only for developing or maintaining it.

It is a loan and it has to be repaid with interest. This is a debt facility, not a subsidy or a grant, so the principal plus interest comes back to the bank.

No. Because this is a loan, the bank recovers its money through repayment and interest rather than by taking a share of ownership. Your land and your tea business stay entirely yours.

Neither is listed among the scheme's conditions. The criteria focus on Tamil Nadu residency, active farming and a genuine tea plantation plan rather than on startup or enterprise registrations.

No fixed deadline is announced — applications are treated as rolling and ongoing. Even so, it is advisable to check with your nearest Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank for the current application window.

Approach the Secretary or Special Officer at the Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank nearest to you and collect the official application form for the tea plantation scheme. Fill in your personal, financial and land details accurately, paste a recent passport-sized photograph and sign across it if instructed, then attach self-attested copies of the supporting documents. Submit the completed form to the designated authority at the bank and ask for an acknowledgment receipt showing the date and time of submission and, ideally, a unique application number. Scheme details are also published on the Tamil Nadu government portal at https://www.tn.gov.in/scheme_details.php?id=MTIwMA==.

Expect to provide proof of identity, proof of your Tamil Nadu address or residency, documents establishing land ownership or cultivation rights for the tea plantation, and financial statements or income proof where asked. Any farming certifications you hold may also be relevant. Every copy should be self-attested.

The bank reviews your documents — land records, residency proof and financial statements among them — to verify that you meet the eligibility conditions. A field visit may then be conducted to inspect the plantation site and assess your commitment and capability. The bank's internal committee makes the final decision on approval. No fixed timeline for this process is stated in the scheme details.

Tea Plantation Loan: Primary Cooperative Agriculture & Rural Development Bank is offered by Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.