EXTRAORDINARY

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

No.2102 CUTTACK, WEDNESDAY, 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

years who will earn Rs 2 lakhs to 6 lakhs by providing farm based services.

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

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

Printed and published by the Director, Printing, Stationery and Publication, Odisha, Cuttack-10

Ex. Gaz. 1579-173+xxx