Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business

Our Goal:

To provide for the better regulation of buying and selling of agricultural produce and the establishment and proper administration of markets for agricultural produce in the state of Tamil Nadu.

1. PMFME Scheme :
  Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with the aim to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector. The scheme to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rupees 10,000 crore. The scheme has a special focus on supporting Groups engaged in Agri-food processing such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain. The PMFME scheme support in terms of:
  1. Food processing entrepreneurs through credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit.
  2. Seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/- per SHG member for working capital and purchase of small tools.
  3. Credit linked grant of 35% for capital investment to FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives.
  4. Support for marketing & branding to micro-units.
  5. Support for common infrastructure and handholding support to SHGs, FPOs and Producer Cooperatives.
  6. Providing Capacity building and training support to increase the capabilities of the enterprises and upgradation of skills of workers.
2. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) :
  The role of infrastructure is crucial for agriculture development and for taking the production dynamics to the next level. It is only through the development of infrastructure, especially at the post harvest stage that the produce can be optimally utilized with opportunity for value addition and fair deal for the farmers. Development of such infrastructure shall also address the vagaries of nature, the regional disparities, development of human resource and realization of full potential of our limited land resource. All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of ₹ 2 crore. This subvention will be available for a maximum period of 7 years. In case of loans beyond ₹ 2 crore, then interest subvention will be limited up to ₹ 2 crore. The extent and percentage of funding to private entrepreneurs out of the total financing facility may be fixed by the National Monitoring Committee. The Scheme will be operational from 2020-21 to 2032-33. Loan disbursement under the scheme will complete in six years.
3. Formation and Promotion of 10000 FPOs scheme in Ariyalur District :
  There is a need to facilitate our farmers with access to improved technology, credit, better input and more markets to incentivize them to produce better quality commodity. For this, Aggregation of small, marginal and landless farmers into FPOs will help enhance economic strength & market linkages of farmers for enhancing their income. Keeping this in mind, Government of India has launched a new Central Sector Scheme titled “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs)” with a clear strategy and committed resources to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs in the country with budgetary provision of Rs 6865 crore.In Ariyalur district 3 FPOs formed under this scheme in Thirumanur, T.Palur and Andimadam blocks.
4. Uzhavarsanthai:
  UzhavarSandhai is a scheme of the Government of Tamil Nadu to promote direct contact between farmers and consumers in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.In Ariyalur district 2 Uzhavarsanthai running at Ariyalur and Jayankondam Municipality respectively.
5. Farmer Producer Organisations : FPO stands for Farmers Producers Organisation. It is an organisation of farmer-producers that provide support to small farmers with end-to-end services covering almost all aspects of cultivation from inputs, technical services to processing and marketing.
6. Price Subsidy Scheme :
  In this scheme government of tamilnadu has procured black gram from farmers directly with the minimum support price of Rs.63.00
7. Tamil nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Programme (TNIAMP) :
  The Project will also rehabilitate and high priority tank irrigation systems in 66 sub basins of the state, which were not part of IAMWARM. The major areas of focus includes
  1. Improved irrigation infrastructure
  2. Crop diversification through high value crops
  3. Climate Resilient technologies for improved productivity
  4. Improved market access system of value addition
  5. Institutionalizing PIM & Improving water management
  In Ariyalur, 3 FPOs formed under this scheme under phase II and III in Thirumanur and T.Palur Blocks.
8. Regulated Market :
  The regulated markets provide necessary infrastructure for both farmers and traders, to enable the farmers to bring their agricultural produce to the regulated markets, so that the famers get maximum price benefit for their agricultural produces without the intervention of middlemen and commission. These services are provided free of cost to the farmers. One rupee for every hundred rupees of aggregate amount of value of the produce is levied for the first purchase or sale of any notified agricultural produce from the traders.There are Four Regulated Markets in Ariyalur District
  - Ariyalur Regulated Market
  - Jayankondam Regulated Market
  - Melanikuzhi Regulated Market
  - Andimadam Regulated Market
Facilities in the Regulated Markets:
- Trading Hall
- Weighing Machine
- Godown facilities in an affordable rent.

Pledge Loan For the Farmers

Farmers bring their agricultural produce to the regulated markets for sale. If they cannot sell or the price is not affordable they can keep their produces in the godowns of the regulated markets for free of cost for the maximum of 15 days. Even after 15 days if the price is not affordable then they can pledge their produce*** for the maximum of 180 days and get 50% of value of their stored agriculture produce as loan with the maximum of 3 lacs rupees. First 15 days are interest free. After 15 days 5% of interest is charged for the loan amount. The farmers can sell their produce within 180 days when the price of their pledged produce is high. This helps the farmers avoid distress sale of their agricultural produces. With documents to support that the pledged produce is produced by the farmer from the land cultivated by the farmer.

Pledge Loan For The Traders:

When traders buy one or more agricultural produce from farmers they can store agricultural produce at an affordable rent in the regulated markets’ godowns. They can also pledge the agricultural produce for the maximum of 180 days and get 50% of the value their stored agricultural produce as loan with the maximum of 2 lacs rupees. The interest is at 9%.

Special Schemes:

The Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Welfare Fund Scheme:
The government of Tamil Nadu is executing the scheme keeping the interest of the farmers in mind.

Benefits:

The farmer/farmer’s family shall get

1,00,000/- is given as subsidy amount, If the famer
died due to accident or due to snake bite
75,000/- is given as subsidy amount If the farmer is
permanently disabled due to loss of both legs or both hands or both eyes.
50,000/- is given as subsidy amount if disability due
to loss of one leg or one hand or one eye.

Eligibility:

Farmers who sell a minimum of 1 Metric Ton of agricultural produce in a year through regulated markets.

Contact:

Deputy Director of Agriculture (Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business),
Integrated Agriculture Complex,
Back side to Collectorate,
Perambalur – 612 212,
Contact No – 9865529676

Agriculture Officer (Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business), Contact No – 7010403373