Agri‐Clinic And Agri-Business Centres Scheme

Launched: 2002

The Objectives of the scheme are –

To supplement efforts of public extension by necessarily providing extension and other services to the farmers on payment basis or free of cost as per business model of agripreneur, local needs and affordability of target group of farmers;
To support agricultural development; and
To create gainful self-employment opportunities to unemployed agricultural graduates, agricultural diploma holders, intermediate in agriculture and biological science graduates with PG in agri-related courses.

Target:

To provide Agri-Entrepreneurship Development training to the selected trainees for a period of two months in identified Nodal Training Institutes.

Free handholding support is also provided for one year to trained agriculture graduates in obtaining bank finance, setting up their business in the area, etc. The training component is looked after by MANAGE. The Scheme has a provision of credit support (start-up loan) up to 20 lakhs for individual projects and 100 lakhs for a group project.

NABARD monitors the credit support to Agri‐Clinics through Commercial Banks/Cooperative Banks/ Regional Rural Banks. The scheme covers full financial support for training and handholding, provision of loan and credit linked back ended composite subsidy.

Project activities

Extension consultancy services
Soil and water quality cum inputs testing laboratories (with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometers)
Pest surveillance, diagnostic and control services
Maintenance, repairs and custom hiring of agricultural implements and machinery including micro irrigation systems (sprinkler and drip)
Agri Service Centres including the three activities mentioned above (Group Activity).
Seed Processing Units
Micro-propagation through Plant Tissue Culture Labs and Hardening Units
Setting up of Vermiculture units, production of bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides, bio-control agents.
Setting up of Apiaries (bee-keeping) and honey & bee products’ processing units
Provision of Extension Consultancy Services
Hatcheries and production of fish finger-lings for aquaculture
Provision of livestock health cover, setting up veterinary dispensaries & services including frozen semen banks and liquid nitrogen supply
Setting up of Information Technology Kiosks in rural areas for access to various agriculture related portals
Feed Processing and testing units
Value Addition Centres
Setting up of Cool Chain fro the farm level onwards (Group Activity)
Retail marketing outlets for processed agri-products
Rural marketing dealerships of farm inputs and outputs