Crop Loans are also called short term loans for “Seasonal Agricultural Operations.” The Seasonal Agricultural Operations connote such activities as are undertaken in the process of raising various crops and are seasonally recurring in nature. The activities include, among others, ploughing and preparing land for sowing, weeding and transplantation where necessary, acquiring and applying inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, insecticides etc. and labour for all operations in the field for raising & harvesting the crops. Thus, the credit required to meet the current expenditure for raising the crops on land till the crops are harvested is construed as production or short term credit for seasonal agricultural operations.
Crop loans are generally disbursed by the banks through the mode of Kisan Credit Card (KCC). The Kisan Credit Card Scheme is in operation throughout the country and is implemented by Commercial Banks, Cooperative Banks and RRBs. All farmers including small farmers, marginal farmers, share croppers, oral lessees and tenant farmers are eligible for issuance of KCC. KCC holders are also covered under Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) against accidental death/permanent disability. Bank assesses farmer’s eligibility on the basis of land available for cultivation and the scale of finance fixed by the District Level Technical Committee in that district and the credit history of the farmer. The scope of the KCC has recently been broad-based to include term credit and consumption needs. Government has advised the banks to convert Kisan Credit Card into a Smart Card cum Debit Card.
Some of the main features of KCC scheme are:
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