📄 Abstract
This study is the first systematic analysis at district level of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme in Gujarat through credit penetration, loan disbursement, production outcomes, and crop-level efficiency. The goals of the study were: (i) the adoption of KCC across the district level; (ii) the effects of loan disbursement on agricultural output; (iii) yield and income growth after the implementation of KCC; and (iv) efficiency at the crop level. It employs a mixed-method methodology drawing on secondary datasets including NABARD, RBI, SLBC, Agricultural Census, and Directorate of Agriculture. Descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, correlation measures, and efficiency indicators (loan per acre, profit per acre, profit per ₹1,000 loan) are applied. Nationally, KCC accounts expanded from 4.26 lakh crore in March 2014 to 10.05 lakh crore in December 2024, covering 7.7 crore farmers. In Gujarat, cooperative banks and RRBs issued 2.13 million KCCs in 2018, declining to 1.45 million in 2020. The percentage was highest in irrigated districts like Kheda (73.9%) and Surat (72.8%) but the rate of penetration was lower in tribal districts such as Aravalli (63.1%). Crop-level efficiency analysis indicates that profits on potato and cumin alone exceed ₹2,000 per ₹1,000 loan, while staples like paddy and maize remain relatively inefficient. The results illustrate intra-state variances and crop-specific differences and this serves as timely material for ongoing policy discussions around credit targeting, institutional capacities, and sustainability in agricultural development.
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📚 How to Cite:
Ms. Richa Makwana, Dr. Bhavna Parwani , CREDIT PENETRATION AND CROP EFFICIENCY UNDER THE KISAN CREDIT CARD SCHEME: DISTRICT-LEVEL EVIDENCE FROM GUJARAT , Volume 14 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Economic Research (ARER) , Pages: 39 - 47 ,