Agri Clinic Scheme: Under the Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centers Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture, youth are given training, loan and subsidy to start farming business. Know who can apply, what are the benefits and how will you get government help.
Agri Clinics And Agri Business Centers Scheme: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has a very special scheme – Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centers Scheme. This scheme has been started with the aim of creating new employment and business opportunities in farming. The main goal is to promote agricultural development and provide modern technology and advice to farmers. Under this, agricultural graduates and youth educated in other agriculture related subjects are given the opportunity to start self-employment and startups.
What is Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centers Scheme?
This scheme of the government, along with helping the farmers, also gives the youth an opportunity to set up their own business. There are two main parts in this scheme-
Agri-Clinics
These centers are created to provide advice and facilities to the farmers on every aspect of farming. The services provided to farmers here include-
- Help in soil testing and crop selection
- Seed, fertilizer and irrigation advice
- Information on prevention of diseases of plants and animals
- Crop insurance and market price information
- Post-Harvest Technology and Animal Service
Agri-Business Centers
These are professional units which are run by trained youth. Here facilities like renting of agricultural equipment, selling of seeds and fertilizers, crop packaging, marketing and post-harvest service are provided. The government also provides loan, training and subsidy facilities to these centers so that the youth can start their own startup.
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Subsidy and help is available from NABARD, also loan ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) has been made the subsidy channelizing agency for this scheme. That is, through NABARD, youth are provided loan and subsidy help so that they can easily start their own units. Subsidy benefit will also be available in this scheme. Under this, if a candidate applies for a personal plan, he can get a loan up to Rs 20 lakh. If the chances of earning and success in a project are high, then this amount can be increased to Rs 25 lakh. At the same time, if 5 people start a scheme together as a group, then they can get a loan up to Rs 1 crore. The most important thing is that in this scheme, 36% subsidy is given to general category applicants, while up to 44% subsidy is given to women, SC and ST category candidates, that is, under this scheme, youth get the benefit of both big loan and government help at low interest.
Who can apply for Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centers Scheme 2025?
The benefit of this scheme is given to those youth who are educated in subjects related to agriculture. The eligibility is something like this-
- The age of the applicant should be between 18 to 60 years.
- It is necessary to have a degree or diploma in agriculture or related subjects like horticulture, veterinary, dairy, fisheries, forestry etc.
- Graduates of Biological Sciences who have Post Graduation in Agriculture are also eligible.
- Students with at least 55% marks in agriculture related subjects at Intermediate (12th) level can also apply.
- Note: People who are retiring and taking pension are not eligible for subsidy in this scheme. However, they can start the project with their own funding by taking training.
What are the benefits of the scheme?
- Youth get free training and handholding support.
- Bank loan and subsidy facilities are provided.
- Credit linked backend subsidy is available for the projects.
Which projects can you work on?
Under this scheme, youth can start projects as mentioned below-
- Soil and Water Testing Lab
- Pest Control and Crop Protection Service
- repair or rental of farm equipment
- Seed Processing Unit, Tissue Culture Lab
- Vermiculture, Bio-Fertilizer and Bio-Pesticide Production
- Fish farming, poultry or dairy unit
- IT Kiosk, Value Addition Centre, Cool Chain System
- Food Processing and Retail Outlets
How to Apply for Agri Clinics and Business Centers Scheme?
- The application process for this scheme is completely online.
- First of all go to the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Fill all the required information in the form and upload the documents.
- Click on Submit and complete the application.
- Applicants can also track their application status online.
What are the documents required to apply?
- aadhaar card number
- email id
- Educational Qualification Certificates
- bank account details
- passport size photo
If someone does not have an Aadhaar card yet, he can apply through Aadhaar enrollment slip, voter ID, PAN card, passport, ration card, driving license or any government ID.
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