The full form of PCARDB is Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank

Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARDB)   

There are 180 Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks at taluk/block levels.The primary cooperative agriculture and rural development banks provide long term loan assistance to farmers with the period of repayment ranging from 5 to 15 years. They provide credit for developmental purposes like minor irrigation, cultivation of plantation crops and for diversified purposes like poultry, dairying and sericulture on schematic basis. They get requisite financial assistance from the Tamil Nadu Cooperative State Agriculture and Rural Development Bank. At present 181 primary cooperative agriculture and rural development banks are functioning in the state.

In order to widen their scope of lending to compete with other financial agencies, the primary cooperative agriculture and rural development banks have been permitted to finance artisans, craftmen and small scale entrepreneurs. They have also been permitted to issue loans to small road transport operators in rural areas for purchase of goods carriers and passenger vehicles. As a result, during 2007-08, the Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks have again started lending for the Non-Farm Sector including Jewel Loans.

The Government will make all efforts to revive them by arranging refinance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development during 2008-09. Activities like horticulture, organic farming, hi-tech farming, precision farming, micro irrigation project based activities like floriculture, cultivation of medicinal plants, plantations in waste land and farm mechanization will be given priority under agricultural investment credit during 2008-09.