EXTRAORDINARY
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No.2102 CUTTACK, W EDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018/KARTIKA 23, 1940
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS' EMPOWERMENT
NOTIFICATION
The 13th November, 2018
Subject: Implementation of the State Plan Scheme: "Agriculture Entrepreneurship
Promotion Scheme".
No.20507–AG-AB-61/2018/AG.— In order to strengthen the backward and forward linkage facilities for the small and marginal farmers need has been felt for a value chain enabler who takes the onus for helping farmers by providing quality inputs, facilitate synchronizing production and marketing by creating a crop calendar and helps in troubleshooting by the farmers. This would help the small holders attain cost reduction, better production, more profit and simultaneously in return, the value chain enabler draws a transaction-based income from different services.
In the context, after careful consideration, Government has been pleased to introduce the new State Scheme "Agriculture Entrepreneurship Promotion Scheme- 2018" to facilitate the rural youth to embark on entrepreneurial ventures for delivering service around Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) / Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) / Small & Marginal Farmers (S &MF) in their locality to spur growth in farm sector through enhanced production and productivity. Each Agricultural Entrepreneur (AE) would typically cater to 150-250 farmers in a cluster of 4–5 Villages and act as a one-stop resource / solution provider for them in the locality. It will be taken up across the State in the places have been sound community mobilization in form of Producers/FPO/SHG or other such Group based Institutions.
Objective of the Scheme:
• Developing 1000 rural youth, women and men as Agri-Entrepreneurs within 3 2 • Supplementing efforts of extension by availing important agriculture services from a local Agri-Entrepreneurs and Increase in income of around 200,000 small and marginal farmers.
Operationalization of the Scheme:
• The scheme will be implemented through a Programme Monitoring Unit (PMU), located in APICOL (Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd.) for a period of 3 (three) years throughout Odisha.
• A detailed process guideline will be developed by the APICOL to implement this scheme.
• APICOL will identify promoting agency with proper selection process that will provide training, & hand holding support to AEs, create incubation mechanisms, and set-up an AE=Hub.
• State Government will facilitate convergence of existing schemes and issue of licenses for the qualified AEs.
• ICT enabled Mobile based platform and dashboards will be developed and integrated to APICOL website.
• Coordination Committees will be set-up at State, District and Block level to review, support and guide this project.
• The AEs would provide four critical functions, i.e. providing better quality inputs, knowledge and crop advice along with on field support to the farmers, mechanization services and linking farmers to markets. They may act as a business correspondent for banks and facilitator of Agri-credit to small farmers.
They will also provide services for livestock rearing and Fisheries Sector where ever possible.
The new scheme will come into force from the date of issue of this resolution.
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By Order of the Governor
Dr. SAURABH GARG
Principal Secretary to Government