GS Paper: GS3-09.Economics of Animal Rearing

Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) has started a nationwide campaign to celebrate “Kamdhenu Deepawali Abhiyan” this year on the occasion of Deepawali festival.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Consider the following statements:

1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into the environment.
2. Cattle release ammonia into the environment.
3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA)

• RKA has been constituted by PM for the conservation, protection and development of cows and their progeny and for giving direction to the cattle development programmes.
• It is a high powered permanent body to formulate policy and to provide direction to the implementation of schemes related to cattle so as to give more emphasis on livelihood generation.

Why need RKA?

• Livestock economy sustains nearly 73 million households in rural areas.
• Even though, the country is the largest producer of milk, the average milk yield in India is only 50% of the world average.
• The low productivity is largely due to deterioration in genetic stock, poor nutrition and unscientific management.

The Union Govt. is set to provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies within the next two months under a special drive.

We can expect multiple statements based prelim question here. Note the following features of the KCC from the newscard:

1. Year of its introduction (in rarest case)

2. Types of banks issuing KCC

3. Credit types extended under KCC

4. Sectors covered under KCC

What is Kisan Credit Card (KCC)?

• KCC is a credit scheme introduced in August 1998 by banks to extend credit facilities to farmers.
• This model scheme was prepared by the NABARD on the recommendations of R.V. GUPTA committee to provide term loans for agricultural needs
• Participating institutions include all commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks, and state co-operative banks. The scheme has short term credit limits for crops and term loans.
• KCC offering credit to the farmers is of two types: 1. Cash Credit 2. Term Credit (for allied activities such as pump sets, land development, plantation, drip irrigations).

Facilities under KCC

• Credit card and passbook or credit card cum passbook provided to eligible farmers facilitate revolving cash credit facility.
• Any number of withdrawals and repayments within a limit, which is fixed on the basis of operational land holding, cropping pattern and scale of finance can be made.
• Each withdrawal has to be repaid within a maximum period of 12 months and the Card is valid for 3 to 5 years subject to annual review.
• Conversion/reschedulement of loans is permissible in case of damage to crops due to natural calamities.
• Crop loans disbursed under KCC Scheme for notified crops are covered under Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana, to protect farmers against loss of crop yield caused by natural calamities, pest attacks etc.

What’s’ in the bucket for Dairy Farmers?

• Under the dairy cooperative movement, approximately 1.7 crore farmers are associated with 230 Milk Unions in the country.
• In the first phase of this campaign, the target is to cover all farmers who are members of dairy cooperative societies and associated with different Milk Unions and who do not have KCC.
• Although the general limit for KCC credit without collateral is Rs. 1.6 lakh, but for dairy farmers, it can be upto Rs.3 lakh.
• This will ensure more credit availability for dairy farmers associated with Milk Unions as well as assuring repayment of loans to banks.

‘Apiary on Wheels’ was recently flagged off today by the Union Minister of MSME.

‘Apiary on Wheels’

• It is a unique concept designed by KVIC for the easy upkeep and migration of Bee Boxes having live Bee colonies.
• It is a platform which can carry 20 Bee Boxes from one place to another without any difficulty.
• It is like an attachment which can be easily connected with a Tractor or a Trolley and may be pulled to any suitable destination.
• Specially, in summers, the beekeepers usually adopted crude methods to feed the bees and many bees used to die in the process.
• This concept of migration, cooling with the help of solar panels and sugar drips with zero risk to the lives of bees, will prevent any damages to the bee boxes or bee colonies and help produce quality honey.

How it works?

• Two large wheels on either side of the Apiary and 4 separate compartments with independent doors, having 5 bee boxes each help the platform to remain intact without disturbing the live bee colonies.
• It is also connected with a solar panel system which automatically triggers a fan inside the compartment as soon as the temperature reaches 35 degree centigrade or above.