Lok Sabha Question No. 4296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Impact of AC&ABC Scheme
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Bajrang Manohar Sonwane, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4296

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## IMPACT OF AC&ABC SCHEME

4296.   SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH: SHRI BAJRANG MANOHAR SONWANE:

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

- (a) the quantitative impact of the Agri Clinic and Agribusiness Centres (AC&ABC) Scheme in the country on increasing agricultural productivity, adoption of improved technologies  and  increasing  the  incomes  of  farmers  receiving  services  from  these centres, State and district-wise particularly in Maharashtra;
- (b)  the number of farmers on average being served by each operational agri-clinic and agri-business, State-wise particularly in Maharashtra;
- (c) the geographical reach of these centres; and
- (d) whether indirect employment has been generated due to setting up of AC&ABC enterprises particularly in remote and under-served rural areas of Maharashtra?

## ANSWER

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

(a):  As of 12.08.2025, a total of 41,664 ventures have been established under the AgriClinics  and  Agri-Business  Centres  (AC&ABC)  Scheme  across  the  country,  including 13,263 ventures  in  Maharashtra,  State since its inception in  2002.  Two  major  impact evaluation studies  on  the  AC&ABC Scheme were conducted to assess its outcomes. These  studies  revealed  that  the  major  benefit  was  an  increase  in  awareness  among farmers  regarding  scientific  farming  practices,  which  led  to  higher  production  per hectare  and  improved  cropping  intensity.  The  quantitative  data  showed  that  82%  of farmers  experienced  increased  productivity,  71%  achieved  optimum  usage  of  farm inputs, 72%  improved  plant protection practices  and 14%  improved  production knowledge. The findings showed a consistently positive impact of the scheme. Almost all  farmers  surveyed  (98%)  confirmed  receiving  relevant  and  useful  information  from agripreneurs, with 81% obtaining crop-related details and 23% receiving information on dairy.  86%  of  farmers  reported  increased  income  or  yield  as  a  result  of  following agripreneurs' advice.

- (b): The number of farmers on average being served by the each  operational agri-clinic and agri business across the country including Maharashtra is about 1410 spread at an average of 47 farmers each in 30  villages.
- (c): The district wise spread of Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres in the country including Maharashtra State is given below:

| Sl. No.   | State             |   Number Districts AC&ABC Ventures | of with   |   Number AC&ABC Ventures established |   Approximate Number of farmers being served by Agri- ventures |
|-----------|-------------------|------------------------------------|-----------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh    |                                 19 |           |                                  538 |                                                         758580 |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh |                                  3 |           |                                    3 |                                                           4230 |
| 3.        | Assam             |                                 24 |           |                                  281 |                                                         396210 |
| 4.        | Bihar             |                                 42 |           |                                 1630 |                                                        2298300 |
| 5.        | Chandigarh        |                                  1 |           |                                    2 |                                                           2820 |
| 6.        | Chhattisgarh      |                                 25 |           |                                  424 |                                                         597840 |
| 7.        | Delhi             |                                  3 |           |                                    6 |                                                           8460 |
| 8.        | Goa               |                                  1 |           |                                   10 |                                                          14100 |
| 9.        | Gujarat           |                                 33 |           |                                  916 |                                                        1291560 |
| 10.       | Haryana           |                                 18 |           |                                  251 |                                                         353910 |
| 11.       | Himachal Pradesh  |                                 10 |           |                                  112 |                                                         157920 |
| 12.       | Jammu & Kashmir   |                                 17 |           |                                  191 |                                                         269310 |
| 13.       | Jharkhand         |                                 22 |           |                                  222 |                                                         313020 |
| 14.       | Karnataka         |                                 43 |           |                                 1968 |                                                        2774880 |
| 15.       | Kerala            |                                 13 |           |                                   87 |                                                         122670 |
| 16.       | Madhya Pradesh    |                                 53 |           |                                 2718 |                                                        3832380 |
| 17.       | Maharashtra       |                                 36 |           |                                13263 |                                                       18700830 |
| 18.       | Manipur           |                                  9 |           |                                  135 |                                                         190350 |
| 19.       | Meghalaya         |                                  3 |           |                                    4 |                                                           5640 |
| 20.       | Nagaland          |                                  4 |           |                                   22 |                                                          31020 |
| 21.       | Odisha            |                                 18 |           |                                  116 |                                                         163560 |
| 22.       | Puducherry        |                                  3 |           |                                   92 |                                                         129720 |
| 23.       | Punjab            |                                 18 |           |                                  225 |                                                         317250 |
| 24.       | Rajasthan         |                                 34 |           |                                 2044 |                                                        2882040 |
| 25.       | Sikkim            |                                  1 |           |                                    1 |                                                           1410 |
| 26.       | Tamil Nadu        |                                 38 |           |                                 5091 |                                                        7178310 |
| 27.       | Telangana         |                                 32 |           |                                  668 |                                                         941880 |
| 28.       | Tripura           |                                  2 |           |                                    2 |                                                           2820 |
| 29.       | Uttar Pradesh     |                                 95 |           |                                10087 |                                                       14222670 |
| 30.       | Uttarakhand       |                                  9 |           |                                  212 |                                                         298920 |
| 31.       | West Bengal       |                                 20 |           |                                  343 |                                                         483630 |
|           | TOTAL             |                                649 |           |                                41664 |                                                       58746240 |

(d):  As  per  the  impact  evaluation  report  each  AC&ABC  enterprise  generated,  on average,  employment  for  more  than  six  persons,  with  about 90% of  them  receiving direct employment.

*****