(a) whether the Government have prepared any scheme to impart training to Agriculture
Graduates every year;
(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the time by which it is likely to be implemented; and
(c) if not, the way the Government propose to utilize the agriculture graduates so as to give
impetus to agriculture?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a) to (c): A new Scheme `Establishment of a Network of Agri-clinics and Agri-business
Centres` has been formulated which seeks to extend opportunities to all eligible agriculture
graduates to support agriculture development through economically viable ventures as
stakeholders by providing the much needed capital for this purpose by way of bank finance on
the one hand and entrepreneurship skill on the other, to set up information kiosks, tissue culture
laboratories, soil testing laboratories, water testing laboratories, agri-clinics, agri-business
centres and take up other related activities for which model schemes are being prepared by
National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development and Small Farmers` Agri-Business
Consortium.
To begin with, the scheme aims at supporting 5,000 ventures annually to be undertaken
by agriculture graduates on individual or joint/group basis. In joint enterprises upto 5
entrepreneurs could participate, one of whom could be a non-agriculture graduate with
experience in business development and management. The average cost of each individual
venture would be around Rs.5 lakh with a outer ceiling of Rs.10 lakh.
The beneficiaries under the Scheme will be trained before they set up their ventures.
The nature and duration of the training will be linked to the activity of their choice. Generally,
the duration of the training would be of upto 3-4 months. The training programme will comprise
skill improvement and updating of the latest technological advances in the area of activity of
choice, entrepreneurship and business management, agricultural development problems and
plans in the area to be served by the proposed ventures. For this purpose a number of centres
will be identified in Agricultural Universities and other educational institutions through out the
country.
This Scheme will be implemented during the current year i.e. 2001-02.