Lok Sabha Question No. 1320 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-03
Subject: Status of Agriculture Business Programmes
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Lata Wankhede

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1320

TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD  DECEMBER, 2024

## STATUS OF AGRICULTURE BUSINESS PROGRAMMES

## 1320. Dr. LATA WANKHEDE

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of Agriculture Business Programmes in the country;
- (b) the number of such Programmes being run at present;
- (c) the  quantum  of  benefits  received  by  the  farmers  of  the  country  out  of  the  said programmes; and
- (d) the  details  of  plans  of  the  Government  to  encourage  the  youth  to  make  a  career  in agriculture sector?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a)  & (b): Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) is implementing various programmes for promotion of Agriculture Business in the country.

(i)  'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development'  programme  is  implemented under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2018-19 onwards with an objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing an incubation ecosystem  in  the  country.  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  has  appointed  five Knowledge Partners (KPs) and twenty-four RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) across the country for implementation assistance and incubation of start-ups under this programme.

(ii)Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres Scheme (AC&ABC)is implementedthrough the National  Institute  of  Agricultural  Extension  Management  (MANAGE),  Hyderabad  and  National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), since April 2002. It is aimed at training graduatesin agriculture and allied subjects to start their own Agri-ventures and offer extension services to farmers. MANAGE, Hyderabad is the nodal agency for providing training to eligible candidates, through its 87 Nodal Training Institutes (NTIs) spread across the country.

- (c)        (i)  Under  'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development'  programme,  the  financial support  is  provided  to  entrepreneurs  in  the  field  of  agriculture  &  allied  sector  to  set  up  their startups.  For this, a maximum financial support of Rs.4 lakhs is provided to student to transform the idea into a business, Rs. 5.00 lakh is provided at the idea/pre seed stage and Rs. 25 lakh at the  seed  stage  as  grant-in-aid  under  the  programme.  Trainings,  Technical  and  financial assistance is provided to startups to launch their products, services, business platforms, etc., into the  market  and  facilitate  them  to  scale  up  their  products  and  operations  to  attain  business viability. More than 4800 Agri-Startups have been trained by KPs and R-ABIs appointed under this programme during Financial Year 2019-20 to 2023-24.So far, 1708 Agri-Startups have been supported with technical and financial assistance under this programme during FY 2019-20 to 2023-24 including 448 women led startups.

(ii)  Under  Agri-Clinics  and  Agri-Business  Centres  Scheme , the  selected  candidates  of age 18 to 60 years having graduation in agriculture and allied subjects can avail 45 days free residential  training  from  various  Nodal  Training  Institutes  (NTIs)  across  the  country  with handholding  supportand  facilitation  for  loan  and  credit  linked  back  ended  composite  subsidy. Subsidy  is  linked  to  extension  services  provided by  the  entrepreneurs  to  farmers  andit  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  General  category.  Since  inception  of  Agri-Clinics  and  Agri-Business Centres (AC&ABC) Scheme, a total of 90,540candidates have been trained  and 40,285  have established their Agri-ventures in the country.

(d):    To  encourage  youth  in  agriculture, Government  has  initiated  a  project  on  'Attracting  and Retaining  Youth  in  Agriculture  (ARYA)',  which  is  operational  in  100  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras (KVKs). During 2023-24, 4036 entrepreneurial units related to mushroom production, fruits and vegetable processing units, horticulture nursery, protected cultivation, fish farming, poultry, goat farming,  piggery,  duck  farming,  bee  keeping  and  vermicomposting  units  were  established benefiting  6079  rural  youth.  KVKs  have  organized  815  training  programmes  benefiting  19870 youth.

The  Government  isproviding  suitable  management  courses  related  to  Agriculture  Business through National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management (MANAGE), ICAR- NAARM and State  Agriculture  Universities.  MANAGE  offers  one  year  course,  Post  Graduate  Diploma  in Agricultural  Extension  Management  (PGDAEM)  and  two  year  Post-Graduate  Diploma  in Management  (Agri-Business  Management)  (PGDM-ABM)from  the  year  1996  for  transforming Agricultural graduates into Techno-Managers for the Agri-Business sector.

ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad has been offering the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Agri- Business Management) (PGDM-ABM) since 2009 as two-year full time residential programme.

At present, 24 Agricultural and allied Science Universities are running M.Sc. (Ag.) Agri-Business Management  Programme  and  08  Agricultural  Universities  are  running  Ph.D.  Agri-Business Management  programme  in  the  country  to  cater  to  the  need  of  youth  to  make  a  career  in Agriculture sector.

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