PATNA, Jan. 10 -- The state agriculture department on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to provide an extra 1% interest subvention on short-term agricultural loans. This comes on top of the existing 3% interest subsidy offered by the Centre, effectively reducing the interest burden further for eligible borrowers. The agreement was formalised in presence of agriculture minister Ram Kripal Yadav and NABARD's chief general manager, Gautam Kumar Singh. Yadav described the initiative as a "historic step" aimed at making institutional credit more accessible and affordable. "Our government is committed to ensuring that farmers can access cheaper loans to invest in modern farming practices," he said. "This additional 1% subsidy from the state budget will go a long way in reducing the overall cost of borrowing and encouraging timely repayments." Under the scheme, farmers availing crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh through the Kisan Credit Card from commercial banks, regional rural banks, or cooperative banks will benefit from the additional subsidy. The relief is available only to those who repay their loans within the stipulated time frame, promoting financial discipline among borrowers. The MoU was signed by senior officials from both sides. From the agriculture department were Saurabh Suman Yadav (agriculture director), Sushil Kumar (jt director, statistics) and Vashid Iqbal (asst director, statistics). Representing NABARD were Bhola Prasad Singh (DGM), Vijay Kumar (AGM), and Satvik Satyakam Devta (assistant manager)....