Nationwide AHDF KCC campaign for providing Kisan Credit Card facility for Animal Husbandry

New Delhi, Nov 15: As part of Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahostav, Nationwide AHDF KCC campaign officially launched by  FAHD Minister Shri Parshottam Rupala today throughvirtual mode.

In order to expand the benefit of Kisan Credit Card to all eligible animal husbandry,dairy and fishery farmers in the country, this department, in association with the Department of Fisheries (DOF) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS), is organizing a “Nationwide AHDF KCC Campaign”from 15^th November 2021 to 15^th February 2022.

The circular conveying the detailed guidelines for organizing this campaign has been issued to States on 10.11.2021.The necessary instructions to banks as well as State Government have also been issued by D/o Financial Services.

Livestock sector is crucial to the Indian economy today, comprising one third of the agriculture and allied sector GVA and having over 8% CAGR. At the same time, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries activities play a significant role in generating farmer income, particularly among the landless, small and marginal farmers and women, besides providing cheap and nutritious food to millions of people.

It is need of the hour to provide reverential recognition to landless, small and marginal farmers and women involved in Animal Husbandry activities in the country and meet their institutional credit requirement for working capital needs through KCC so as to tap the potential of the sector and increase employment generation and income.

A Special Drive was organized last year, from 1^st June 2020 to 31^st December 2020, by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in association with Department of Financial Services, for providing AHDF KCC to eligible dairy farmers of Milk Cooperatives and Milk Producer Companies.

As an outcome over 14 lakh fresh AHDF KCC has been sanctioned. However, since there are nearly 10 crore AHD farmers across the country, there is ample scope for expansion of this exercise beyond dairy cooperatives to cover other eligible dairy farmers as well as other animal husbandry activities.