Agri-Clinics And Agri-Business Centres Scheme
This topic of “Agri-Clinics And Agri-Business Centres Scheme” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Portion.
Introduction
- Welfare scheme by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
- Launched in 2002
- Aims at agricultural development
Ministry
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
- NABARD acts as a subsidy channelizing agency
Objectives
- Supplement public extension efforts
- Provide extension and other services to farmers
- Create gainful self-employment opportunities
- Establish agri-ventures
- Enhance productivity of crops/animals
- Increase incomes of farmers
- Provide training and start-up loans for ventures
- Cover full financial support for training and handholding
- Provision of loans and credit-linked back-end composite subsidy
- Project activities
Benefits
- Agri-Clinics
- Provide expert advice and services to farmers
- Enhance productivity of crops/animals
- Increase incomes of farmers
- Provide support in soil health, cropping practices, plant protection, crop insurance, post-harvest technology, clinical services for animals, feed and fodder management, and market prices
- Agri-Business Centres
- Commercial units of agri-ventures
- Established by trained agriculture professionals
- Include maintenance and custom hiring of farm equipment, sale of inputs, and other services in agriculture and allied areas
- Provide post-harvest management and market linkages for income generation and entrepreneurship development
Eligibility
- Age of applicant between 18 and 60 years
- Qualify as one of the following:
- Graduates in agriculture and allied subjects
- Diploma/Post Graduate Diploma holders in Agriculture and allied subjects
- Biological Science Graduates with Post Graduation in Agriculture & allied subjects
- Agriculture-related courses at intermediate level with at least 55% marks
Implementation Strategy
- Extension consultancy services
- Soil and water quality cum inputs testing laboratories
- Pest surveillance, diagnostic and control services
- Maintenance, repairs, and custom hiring of agricultural implements and machinery
- Micro-propagation through Plant Tissue Culture Labs and Hardening Units
- Setting up of Vermiculture units, production of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and bio-control agents
- Setting up of Apiaries and honey & bee products’ processing units
- 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
- Retail marketing outlets for processed agri-products
- Rural marketing dealerships of farm inputs and outputs
Exclusions
- Retired employees getting pensionary benefits are not eligible for subsidy. However, they can undergo training and establish self-financed projects.
