Kisan Credit Card
Also called: KCC · Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Agriculture"
Meaning
The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) is a scheme launched in 1998. It gives farmers quick, cheap short-term loans for farm needs such as seeds, fertilisers and pesticides. The farmer gets a card linked to a bank account and can borrow money when it is needed. This saves farmers from moneylenders who charge very high interest. In 2018-19 the scheme was extended to animal husbandry and fisheries.
Example
A rice farmer in West Bengal can use a KCC to buy seed and fertiliser at sowing time for the aman crop. The farmer then pays the loan back after the harvest.
Don't confuse with
- Crop insurance: crop insurance pays the farmer when crops are lost. KCC lends money that the farmer must repay.