KCC- Transforming the Agricultural Landscape

Agriculture stands as the cornerstone of the Indian economy, holding the position of the world's second-largest agricultural producer. India garners acclaim for its remarkable achievements in the agrarian sector. Despite this global recognition, there exists an even greater imperative to empower the nation's farming community. The farmers, through their indispensable and unwavering contributions, continuously uphold the reality of India's agricultural prowess.

In pursuit of this mission, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, and Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Agriculture Minister, have launched two pivotal initiatives: the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP) and the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Ghar Ghar Abhiyan. These initiatives aim to safeguard the welfare of farmers, equipping them with essential tools and techniques to propel progress in their agricultural endeavours. Building upon the foundation laid by the Kisan Credit Card scheme introduced in 1998, which encouraged farmers to seamlessly procure agricultural inputs-such as seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers-without incurring financial burdens, these initiatives extend the scheme's benefits.

The KCC scheme, originally conceptualised to facilitate farmers' access to resources for cultivation, expanded its purview in 2004 to encompass non-farm and allied activities, addressing investment credit requirements. The overarching goal of the KCC scheme is to alleviate any limitations or challenges farmers might encounter at various stages of cultivation, including post-harvesting expenses. The recently launched offshoots of this initiative primarily aim to broaden the scope of financial inclusion, optimise data utilisation, and maximise the advantages that technology can bring to the agricultural field.

What is the Kisan Rin Portal?

 Launched on September 19, 2023, the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP) was conceived through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare (MoAFW), Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD). The primary objective was to enhance access to credit services under the Kisan Credit Card scheme. The portal underscores the potential benefits of technological intervention for farming and rural communities.

How does it help?

The Kisan Rin Portal facilitates farmers in leveraging the vast potential of the KCC scheme, enabling them to access subsidised agriculture credit through the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS). Under MISS, the Indian Government provides a 3% interest subvention to farmers who repay their short-term crop loans within one year of disbursement.

In addition to this, the Kisan Rin Portal offers a comprehensive overview of farmer data in an integrated hub. It includes specific details regarding loan disbursement, interest subvention claims, and the progress of scheme utilisation. The platform streamlines the process for farmers, providing easy access to necessary data and empowering them to make informed financial decisions. This initiative not only strengthens their financial knowledge but also enhances their overall financial position. Moreover, the move fosters financial transparency in the agricultural domain.

An additional yet significant motive behind the portal is to centralise farmers' data, thereby curbing corruption. The ultimate goal is to ensure that every farmer maximises the potential benefits of the scheme.

 What is KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyan?

 Highlighting the Indian government's goal of achieving universal financial inclusion, the KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyan scheme was formulated to ensure that every farmer has access to credit facilities provided under the KCC scheme. Launched on October 1, 2023, this campaign, with NABARD as the Primary Executing Organisation, aims to assist farmers in optimising their agricultural operations and reaping maximum benefits. The KCC scheme is applicable to individual farmers or joint borrowers who are owners cum cultivators, SelfHelp Groups (SHGs) or Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), tenant farmers or sharecroppers, and oral lessees. Borrowers must be between the ages of 18 and 75, and for individuals aged over 60, a co-borrower is also required.

 How does it help?

To extend credit support to farmers nationwide, the KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyan operates with the objective of saturating the KCC scheme. This involves creating awareness among every farmer about its benefits and enrolling them in the initiative earnestly. As of March 2023, 7.35 crore KCC accounts have been established with a sanctioned loan amount of 8.85 lakh crores. About 9 crore beneficiaries are part of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, of which 1.5 crore are yet to connect to the KCC scheme. Launched for the wellbeing of farmers, the government has allocated substantial funds to the scheme, aiming to provide financial support to farmers through a systematic and seamless approach.

Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS)

Portal On September 19, 2023, Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a manual for the Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) portal. Launched in July of the same year, this platform promises to be a significant initiative in assisting the farming community with valuable weather insights. The weather data analytics provided by the portal effectively helps stakeholders anticipate weather conditions and assess the suitability of the climate for crop cultivation. The manual introduced for the portal aids in navigating through its various functionalities.

How does it help?

The WINDS portal significantly facilitates informed agricultural decisionmaking through efficient weather analysis. India, with its varied climatic conditions and soil properties, requires a comprehensive technique to address this diversity. The centralised platform processes information collected by Automated Weather Stations and Rain Gauges at the local level, ensuring precise statistics and enabling accurate predictions and risk assessment. The WINDS portal has proven to be paramount in enhancing the agricultural and rural economy by aiding in the development of advanced crisis management strategies and advisories. The exhaustive manual helps in understanding the intricacies of the platform, encouraging better utilisation and data interpretation. Being an effective weather monitoring system, the WINDS portal serves as a crucial step to strengthen planning and execution in the agricultural sector.

Compiled by Induja Tyagi, EN Team.