Fixation of credit limit/Loan amount :
The credit limit under the Kisan Credit Card may be fixed as under:
(a) All farmers other than marginal farmers:
The short term limit to be arrived for the first year:
For farmers raising single crop in a year:
Scale of finance for the crop (as decided by District Level Technical Committee) x Extent of area cultivated + 10% of limit towards post-harvest / household / consumption requirements + 20% of limit towards repairs and maintenance expenses of farm assets + crop insurance, PAIS & asset insurance.
Limit for second & subsequent year :First year limit for crop cultivation purpose arrived at as above plus 10% of the limit towards cost escalation / increase in scale of finance for every successive year ( 2nd , 3rd, 4th and 5th year) and estimated Term loan component for the tenure of Kisan Credit Card, i.e., five years.
For farmers raising more than one crop in a year:
The limit is to be fixed as above depending upon the crops cultivated as per proposed cropping pattern for the first year and an additional 10% of the limit towards cost escalation / increase in scale of finance for every successive year (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th year). It is assumed that the farmer adopts the same cropping pattern for the remaining four years also. In case the cropping pattern adopted by the farmer is changed in the subsequent year, the limit may be reworked.
Term loans for investments towards land development, minor irrigation, purchase of farm equipments and allied agricultural activities.
The banks may fix the quantum of credit for term and working capital limit for agricultural and allied activities, etc., based on the unit cost of the asset/s proposed to be acquired by the farmer, the allied activities already being undertaken on the farm, the bank’s judgment on repayment capacity vis-a-vis total loan burden devolving on the farmer, including existing loan obligations.
The long term loan limit is based on the proposed investments during the five year period and the bank’s perception on the repaying capacity of the farmer
Maximum Permissible Limit: The short term loan limit arrived for the 5th year plus the estimated long term loan requirement will be the Maximum Permissible Limit (MPL) and treated as the Kisan Credit Card Limit.
Fixation of Sub-limits for other than Marginal Farmers:
(i) Short term loans and term loans are governed by different interest rates. Besides, at present, short term crop loans are covered under Interest Subvention Scheme/ Prompt Repayment Incentive scheme. Further, repayment schedule and norms are different for short term and term loans. Hence, in order to have operational and accounting convenience, the card limit is to be bifurcated into separate sub limits for short term cash credit limit cum savings account and term loans.
(ii) Drawing limit for short term cash credit should be fixed based on the cropping pattern and the amounts for crop production, repairs and maintenance of farm assets and consumption may be allowed to be drawn as per the convenience of the farmer. In case the revision of scale of finance for any year by the district level committee exceeds the notional hike of 10% contemplated while fixing the five year limit, a revised drawable limit may be fixed and the farmer be advised about the same. In case such revisions require the card limit itself to be enhanced (4th or 5th year), the same may be done and the farmer be so advised. For term loans, installments may be allowed to be withdrawn based on the nature of investment and repayment schedule drawn as per the economic life of the proposed investments. It is to be ensured that at any point of time the total liability should be within the drawing limit of the concerned year.
(iii) Wherever the card limit/liability so arrived warrants additional security, the banks may take suitable collateral as per their policy.
(b) For Marginal Farmers:
A flexible limit of Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000 be provided (as Flexi KCC) based on the land holding and crops grown including post harvest warehouse storage related credit needs and other farm expenses, consumption needs, etc., plus small term loan investments like purchase of farm equipments, establishing mini dairy/backyard poultry as per assessment of Branch Manager without relating it to the value of land. The composite KCC limit is to be fixed for a period of five years on this basis. Wherever higher limit is required due to change in cropping pattern and/or scale of finance, the limit may be arrived at as per the estimated requirements.