What is the aim of the Kisan Credit Card Scheme (KC

The Indian agriculture sector has been growing at an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent during the last six years. It grew by 3.0 per cent in 2021-22 compared to 3.3 per cent in 2020- 21. In recent years, India has also rapidly emerged as the net exporter of agricultural products. In 2020-21, exports of agriculture and allied products from India grew by 18 per cent over the previous year. During 2021-22, agricultural exports reached an all-time high of US$ 50.2 billion. As per Fourth Advance Estimates for 2021-22, the production of food grains and oil seeds has been increasing Year-on-Year (YoY). As per the First Advance Estimates for 2022-23 (Kharif only), total food grains production in the country is estimated at 149.9 million tonnes which is higher than the average Kharif food grain production of the previous five years (2016-17 to 2020-21). Despite a fall in the sown area of Kharif paddy, the total production of Kharif rice during 2022-23 is estimated at 104.9 million tonnes, which is higher than the previous five years (2016-17 to 2020-21) average Kharif rice production of 100.5 million tonnes. The Union Budget for 2018-19 announced that farmers in India would be given an MSP of at least one and a half times the cost of production. Accordingly, the Government has been increasing the MSP for all 22 Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a margin of at least 50 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production since the agricultural year 2018-19. Ensuring hassle-free credit availability at a cheaper rate to farmers has been the top priority of the Government of India. Accordingly, the Kisan Credit Card Scheme (KCC) was introduced in 1998 for farmers to empower them to purchase agricultural products and services on credit at any time. To ensure that the farmers pay a minimal interest rate to the banks, the Government of India has introduced the Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS), now renamed Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), to provide short-term credit to farmers at subsidised interest rates. Under this scheme, short-term agriculture loan up to ₹3 lakh is available at 7 per cent per annum to farmers engaged in Agriculture and other Allied activities, including Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Poultry, Fisheries etc. An additional 3 per cent subvention (Prompt Repayment Incentive) is also given to the farmers for prompt and timely repayment of loans. Therefore, if a farmer repays his loan on time, he gets credit at 4 per cent per annum.