Question : Start-ups in Agri-Sector

(a) whether the Government proposes to encourage Start-ups in Agri-sector to innovate, reduce wastage, increase agri-produce and to enhance soil fertility in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has taken note of various grass-root innovations related to agricultural practices that could reduce costs and increase agricultural production and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the steps taken by the Government to promote Start-ups in Agri-sector in the country?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.


STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 97 FOR 08.02.2022 REGARDING START-UPS IN AGRI-SECTOR.

(a) (b) & (d): This Ministry has launched a component called “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) in 2018-19 with an objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing an incubation ecosystem to innovate, reduce wastage, increase agri-produce to enhance soil fertility in the country etc. In this connection, this Ministry has appointed five Knowledge Partners (KPs) as Centre of Excellence and twenty four RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country for implementation of this programme. List of KPs and R-ABIs is enclosed at Annexure-I.
Besides, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has been supporting Agri-based startups under the project called National Agriculture Innovation Fund (NAIF) initiated in year 2016-2017. It has two components viz. I. Innovation Fund; II. Incubation Fund and National Coordinating Unit (NCU).

Component I : 10 Zonal Technology Management Units and 89 Institute Technology Management Units (ITMUs) established in 99 ICAR institutes provide a single-window mechanism to manage innovations, showcase intellectual assets, and pursue matters related to intellectual property (IP) management and transfer/commercialization of technologies in these institutes.

Component II : Agri-business Incubator Centres (ABICs) are set up to speed up the delivery of the new technologies to stake holders. The ABICs are the nodal point to provide the desired link for Agriculture Research &Development ( R&D ) Institutions for incubation/ commercialization of the validated technologies. So far, 50 Agri-Business Incubation Centers have been established and are operational in the ICAR network under the NAIF scheme. List of ABICs under ICAR is at Annex-II

(c): Under Agri-entrepreneurship programme, a number of start-ups have been supported with various grass-root innovations in agricultural practices that could reduce costs and increase agricultural production. Some of these startups are working in areas such as utilization of waste from paddy crop residue, fruits and vegetable processing on the farm to reduce wastage, innovative seed drill, multi purpose electric hand equipment for agriculture, high value mushroom production from farm wastes , ecofriendly soil moisture enhancer, organic farming & services etc.