AGRI-CLINICS AND AGRI-BUSINESS SERVICES TO FARMERS

Central Sector Scheme of AGRI-CLINICS AND AGRI BUSINESS CENTRES (AC & ABC)

OBJECTIVES  To support Agriculture development  To supplement the efforts of public extension and  To create gainful self-employment opportunities to unemployed Agricultural Graduates, Agricultural Diploma holders, Intermediate in Agriculture, and Science Graduates with PG in Agri related subjects.

Overall Progress of the Scheme (as on 21/10/2013)

    

Total No. of Candidates trained: 34817 No. of Agri-ventures established: 13601 No. of projects pending with the banks:6060 No. of projects sanctioned by the banks:1654 No. of projects that received subsidy : 816

Feedback from Non Starters

25% - pursued higher studies 22% - employed in public & private sector 19% - discouraged by lack of finance and non cooperation from the banks 60% of the non-starters are willing to reapply for loan if banks cooperate

Major Constraints

     Availability of candidates for training Capability of the Nodal Training Institutes with respect to training and handholding support and its linkages with different stakeholders Support to the trained graduates in availing timely /adequate credit and easy availability of the subsidy to him Slow loaning and subsidy release - response of bankers towards credit/subsidy flow to the trained agri-preneurs Small enterprises for their sustainability.

established with their own investment or a very low credit need greater support

Modified ACABC Scheme

 Enlarged eligibility criteria  Enhanced financial norms for training  Additional 10% charges for NE & Hill States  Refresher Training for Successful agri-preneurs  Existing capital & interest subsidy replaced with Composite Subsidy (36% and 44%)  Enhanced ceiling cost of the projects for subsidy purpose (20 / 25 lacs and 100 lacs)

TRAINING NETWORK

 MoU finalized with 98 Nodal Training Institutions (NTIs) 1. State Agriculture Universities 2. State Government Institutes 3. NGOs 4. Agribusiness Companies 5. Institutes of Co-operative Management 6. Krishi Vigyan Kendras 16 08 36 17 11 10

SELECTION OF CANDIDATES

    NTIs will advertise the scheme and collect the applications.

Non-refundable Registration Fee Rs.500/.

Scrutiny of applications by NTI and an official from ATMA/Block Technology Team/ Agri. & Allied departments.

Selection is based on a scoring model by a Committee consisting of representatives of NTI, MANAGE, KVK, NABARD, Bank, State Agri & Allied Departments and Agri-Business Company.

TRAINING CONTENT

      Basic Agriculture Knowledge Central and State Government Schemes Field Visits Agricultural Extension IT enabled Agricultural Extension Advisory Services Agri-entrepreneurship Development including Market Survey, Hands on Experience and preparation of Detailed Project Report.

       

HANDHOLDING – FOR ONE YEAR

Through Nodal Training Institutes (NTIs) Individual Progress Sheet Interface meetings at State / Institute level Visits to individual enterprises Interaction with Bankers Involvement in ATMA and other Public Extension Activities Updating pending and sanctioned loans Documentation of success story

INFORMATION SUPPORT SERVICE

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Website: http://www.agriclinics.net

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Helpline no. 1800 425 1556

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Agripreneur – (Monthly E-Bulletin)

LOAN & SUBSIDY

Project Cost:  Individual Projects : Rs.20.00 lakhs  Group Projects : Rs.100.00 lakhs (5 member group)   An additional limit of Rs.5.00 lakhs subsidy is also provided for extremely successful ventures Margin Money : 10 –15 % or as decided by individual banks

Bank Loans:

Type of Loan - Composite Term Loan (fixed cost + cost for one operative cycle)- At least 10% of the project cost should be in the form of capital investment Security :  Hypothecation of assets, mortgage of lands or third party guarantee.

 Collateral Security is waived up to Rs.5.00 lakhs loan.

Repayment Period:  5 – 10 years depending upon the project.

 Gestation period – Maximum two years as per the nature of the project

Rate of Interest :

As determined by Bank (Commercial / Private Bank / RRB / State Co operative Bank).

Composite Subsidy:

 Credit Linked and back ended subsidy with lock-in period of 3 years.

 Subsidy will be released by NABARD to the Banks up-front

  36% Subsidy on a maximum Project Cost of Rs.20.00 lakhs (Rs.100.00 lakhs for Group) for general category and 44% for SC, ST, women, Hilly States (NE States, J&k, H.P and Uttaranchal).

The benefit of subsidy will be extended maximum twice to a candidate under the Scheme within the prescribed loan limits   Payment of back-ended subsidy will be linked to extension services provided by Agripreneur.

The cut-off date of April 2004 for subsidy eligibility is now removed.

Project Activities:   32 Projects mentioned (only illustrative).

Any Project which provide services to the farmers.

Hand Holding by Nodal Training Institutions:

Up to one year

ACABC Over the Years…

Year 2002-03 2004-05 2006-07 2008-09 2009-10 2011-12 2012-13 Total Physical Target & Achievement Target (Training) Achievement Ventures Established Success Rate (%) 3245 3058 416 13.60

3500 2977 783 26.30

3000 3149 1081 34.33

3000 2503 824 3000 4000 4400 37245 2564 4015 4439 32683 1111 2139 2250 12992 32.92

43.33

53.28

50.69

39.75

S.No.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

State-wise Progress (21/10/2013) State

Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chandigarh Chattisgarh Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh

Trained

1458 14 487 2817 2 281 13 3 1150 457 416

Established

555 2 172 951 1 149 2 1 401 158 108 12 13 14 15 16 Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh 1206 559 2634 174 963 157 128 1060 45 364

27 28 29 30 22 23 24 25 26

S.No.

17 18 19 20 21 Maharashtra

State

Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Pondicherry Punjab Rajasthan Tamilnadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal West Bengal

Total Trained

7340 382 9 34 149 507 97 426 2408 3462 1 6603 285 480

34817 Established

3117 113 3 0 13 105 60 149 856 1649 0 3120 78 84

13601

AGRO-VENTURES ESTABLISHED (05-08-2013)

6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 Sl.No

Name of the Activity Agri-Clinics Agri-Clinics and Agribusiness Centres Agro-Eco Tourism Animal Feed Unit Bio-fertilizer production and Marketing Contract Farming Cultivation of Medicinal Plants Direct Marketing Farm Machinery Unit Fisheries Development No. of Agriventures Established 2019 5321 9 42 93 47 106 167 317 252

Sl.No

Name of the Activity 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Floriculture Horticulture Clinic Landscape + Nursery Nursery Organic Farming Pesticides Production and Marketing Post Harvest Management + value addition Fisheries clinic Seed Processing and & Agri-business Soil Testing Laboratory No. of Agriventures Established 92 105 99 320 82 30 166 14 277 95

Sl.No

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Name of the Activity Tissue culture unit Vegetable production & Marketing Vermi Composting / Organic manure Veterinary Clinics Crop production Dairy/Poultry/Piggery/Goat etc Rural Godowns Production & Marketing of Bio-Control Agents Agriculture Journalism Sericulture Mushroom Cultivation Apiary

Total

No. of Agriventures Established 27 95 439 772 170 2221 45 14 16 37 51 61

13601

BANKERS MUST PLAY A PROACTIVE ROLE

Subsidy Flow in 2011-12 and 2012-13 together was Rs. 13.58 crores whereas it was only Rs. 5.41 crores since beginning till 2010-11

Issues in up-scaling Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres

• Not attracting serious candidates to the scheme • Need for Quality NTIs which produce results • Slow pace of Loan and Subsidy disbursement • Lack of convergence between ATMA and Agripreneurs

Mr. Vijay Bharat, Post Graduate in Agriculture Founder of “Mobile Agricultural School & Services (MASS)” Ranchi, Jharkhand, Ph: 09431588284

 MASS started in 2006 is an Agri-services and training centre on wheels moving from village to village equipped with audio-visual aids such as projector, screen, laptop, electronic board and CDs on best farm practices   Offers agri-inputs and consultancy services at the door steps of the farmer Extension services – Imparts training in the bus itself at the village on ATMA activities and other Government programmes.

   Provides on farm services to farmers such as soil testing MASS develops agricultural films and use it as a tool for training.

Plans to replicate the model in neighboring states, villages and Glamorizing Agriculture.  Farmers covered – 1,50,000 in 26 districts of Jharkhand and Bihar States  Direct Employment to 19 persons  Annual turnover Rs.1.24 crore

Mr. Samir Ranjan Bordoloi, B.Sc. (Agri) S. S. Botanicals, The Agri-Clinic cum Agri-Business Centre, Tarajan, Jorhat, Assam; Ph: 098540-49583

   Started in 2003 Operating in Jorhat, Golaghat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Karbi-Anlong and Nagoan districts Services available  Advisory – Tea, Organic Farming, other crops      Soil Testing Market Information Farmers’ Training, Farmer - Scientist Interaction Agri-Business Centre - Wholesale and retail sale of Organic Inputs, Vermicompost, Bio-pesticides, Bio-fertilizers, Seeds, Farm Equipments, Shade Net, Inorganic Inputs etc. Involved in ATMA and Horticulture Technology Mission activities

 Krishok Bandhu Help Card (Farmers Registration Card) Already more than 3000 registered farmers  Strategic partnership with FERTILE GROUND, CANADA for organic farming and Agri-Tourism.  Publication of “PRAKRITI” – Bi-monthly News Letter for cultivators @ Rs.5/- per copy. NABARD, Guwahati subscribed 500 copies for Farmers’ Club members  Annual Turnover more than Rs.2.00 crores  Employment – 30 persons direct, 150 persons indirect

Mr.Soibam Surchandra Singh, P.G.D.F.Sc.

S. Tomba & Sons Ingetrated Fish Farming Pvt. Ltd.

Hiyangthang Mamang Leikai, P.O. Wangoi, Imphal West District, Ph. : 9856082269

       

Started in 2007 High density production of pengba endemic medium fish through special breeding technique with the help of Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow Introduced composite fish farming in Manipur among farmers Increased rearing capacity of Pengba from 8000 number per hectare fingerling to 20,000 fingerling Increased fish productivity from earlier 3 ton / ha. to 7.5 ton / ha. Farmers covered – more than 1000 Employment – direct 35 persons, indirect more than 300 Annual turnover – More than Rs.1.5 crores

Provides Disease free, Healthy fish carp seed of Pengba species to farmers Mr. Soibam Suruchandra Singh

Mrs. Sangeeta Deepak Sawalakhe (M.Sc. Agri), Vidharbha Biotech Lab - MIDC - 856,Lohara, Yeotmal Mobile. No: 09422869423

      

Vidharbha Biotech Lab in 1996 Production and marketing of bio pesticides and bio fertilizers Extension Service – Providing extension services in the areas of soil and water testing, Awareness of organic farming, Free Consultancy Services regarding pest and diseases of major crops to the farmers .

Farmers Covered – 5000 Direct Employment for 26 persons in Lab and Marketing Investment – 50 lacs (Fixed 35 lacs & Operational 15 lacs) Annual Turnover – Around Rs.1 to 1.25 crores

Inauguration of Packing unit

Ms. M.Nila, Super Agro Products, Pollachi, Tamilnadu, Mobile: 9843031631 , Email; [email protected]

        Age : 41 Years Qualification : M.Sc (Agri.Mkg & management) from TNAU , Coimbatore in 1994 ACABC Training from TNAU (CARDS) Coimbatore in2005 Activity started in December 2006 Activity : Micronutrients Mfg, and sale, Agri consultancy Covering 1200 farmers in 75 villages Employment provided to 25 persons (Direct & Indirect) Turnover : Rs.75.00 lakhs Husband joined her venture resigning private job