Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC)

BAAC was established on 1 November 1966 as a government-owned bank to provide affordable credit to agricultural producers, either directly or through agricultural cooperatives and farmers' associations. BAAC assumed the functions of the Bank for Cooperatives (which had been established in 1947). In March 1993, BAAC was also authorized to lend to farmers for agriculturally-related activities, e.g., cottage industries, and more recently, for non-agricultural activities.