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.

      (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.

      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.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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