A welfare scheme by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare was launched in 2002. AC&ABC aims at agricultural development, supplementing the efforts of public extension by providing extension and other services to farmers either on a payment basis or free of cost as per the business model.
💰Agri-Clinics - | Agri-Clinics are envisaged to provide expert advice and services to farmers on various aspects to enhance the productivity of crops/animals and increase the incomes of farmers. Agri-Clinics provide support in the following areas: | - Soil health | - Cropping practices | - Plant protection | - Crop insurance post-harvest technology clinical services for animals, feed and fodder management prices of various crops in the market, etc. | Agri-Business Centres - | Agri-Business Centres are commercial units of agri-ventures established by trained agriculture professionals. These ventures may include maintenance and custom hiring of farm equipment, sale of inputs, and other services in agriculture and allied areas, including post-harvest management and market linkages for income generation and entrepreneurship development. | The scheme covers full financial support for training and handholding, provision of loans, and credit-linked back-end composite subsidy. | Project activities - | - Extension consultancy services | - Soil and water quality cum inputs testing laboratories (with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometers) | - Pest surveillance, diagnostic and control services | - Maintenance, repairs, and custom hiring of agricultural implements and machinery including micro-irrigation systems (sprinkler and drip) | - Agri Service Centres include the three activities mentioned above (Group Activity). | - Seed Processing Units | - 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 (bee-keeping) and honey & bee products' processing units | - Provision of Extension Consultancy Services | - Hatcheries and production of fish fingerlings for aquaculture | - 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 | - Setting up of Cool Chain from the farm level onwards (Group Activity) | - Retail marketing outlets for processed agri-products | - Rural marketing dealerships of farm inputs and outputs