Agri-Clinics and Agri Business Centers

Agri-Clinics and Agri Business Centers

OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME- This provides extension and other services to the farmers on payment basis or free of cost as per business model of agri-preneur, local needs and affordability of target group of farmers;

• To support agricultural development; and

 • To create gainful self-employment opportunities to unemployed agricultural graduates.

Concept and Definition-

2.1 Agri-Clinics: Agri-Clinics are established to provide expert advice and services to farmers on various technologies which would enhance income to farmers.

 2.2. Agri-Business Centres: - Agri-Business Centres are commercial units of agriventures established by trained agriculture professionals for income generation and entrepreneurship development.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR CANDIDATES –

 3.1. Graduates in agriculture and allied subjects.

 3.2. Diploma (with at least 50% marks)/ Post Graduate Diploma holders    

         in Agriculture and allied subjects.

 3.3. Biological Science Graduates with Post Graduation in Agriculture &

         allied subjects.

3.4. Degree courses recognized by UGC having 2 Revised Agri-Clinics

        and Agri-Business Centres (ACABC) Scheme - 2010

 3.5. Diploma/Post-graduate Diploma courses with more than 60  

         percent of course content in Agriculture and allied subjects.

3.6. Agriculture related courses at Intermediate (i.e. plus two) level,

        with at least 55% marks.

TRAINING AND HAND HOLDING

National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) will be responsible for providing training to eligible candidates, through Nodal Training Institutes (NTIs) and motivating them for setting up of AgriClinics and Agri-Business Centres.

4.  Process of Selection of Candidates

4.1. Call for applications from eligible candidates by Advertisement in local newspapers and others.

 4.2. Online applications.

 4.3. Selection of candidates:

(a) Scrutiny of applications of shortlisted candidates

 (b) Eligible candidates will be called for an interview.

 (c) The candidates will be selected based on predetermined criteria and weightage .

 Each batch shall not exceed 35 candidates.

Training Programme- Two months training programme aims at transforming persons qualified in the field of agriculture and allied sectors into agrientrepreneurs. It is an intensive capacity building effort by the NTI faculty in association with locally available experts and successful agrientrepreneurs.

The scheme covers full financial support for training and handholding, provision of loan and credit linked back ended composite subsidy as per the details given

Certificates are being issued to trainees by MANAGE after successful completion of two month training.

CREDIT SUPPORT

5.1. Assistance under the scheme would be purely credit linked and subject to sanction of the project by banks based on economic viability and commercial considerations.

2. Project Cost Ceiling 5.2.1. Ceiling of project cost for subsidy has been enhanced to ` 20 lakh for an individual project (25 lakh in case of extremely successful individual projects) and up to ` 100 lakh for a group project.

Thereby requiring minimal capital investment at least 10% value of the Total Financial Outlay of the project should be in capital form.

The repayment schedule will be drawn on the total amount of the loan (including subsidy) in such a way that the subsidy amount is adjusted after liquidation of net bank loan (excluding subsidy).

 Repayment Subsidy

 5.3.4. Repayment period will depend on the nature of activity and will vary between 5 to 10 years.

Subsidy will be 44% of project cost for women, SC/ST & all categories of candidates from NE and Hill states and 36% of project cost for all others.

INDICATIVE LIST OF AGRI VENTURES UNDER

ACABC SCHEME

·      Extension consultancy services • Soil and water quality cum inputs testing laboratories • Crop protection services. • Micro-propagation units. • Custom hiring centre • Seed production and processing units; • Vermiculture units; • Production of bio-fertilizers, biopesticides & other bio-control agents; • Bee-Keeping • Agricultural insurance services; • Agri tourism • Agri journalism • Poultry and fishery hatcheries; • veterinary dispensaries & services • Information technology kiosks; • Feed production, marketing and testing units. • Value addition centres; • Cool chain including cold storage units. • Post harvest management centres. • Metallic and non-metallic storage structures. • Horticulture clinic, nursery, landscaping, floriculture • Sericulture; • Vegetable production and marketing; • Retail marketing outlets for processed agri-products; • Production and marketing of farm inputs & outputs; • Contract farming; • Crop production and demonstration; • Mushroom production; • Production, processing and marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants; • Production units like dairy, poultry, piggery, fisheries, sheep rearing, goat rearing, emu rearing, rabbit rearing etc.