Press Release l Small Business for Farmers


The government is implementing various policies/programmes/schemes for the welfare and increasing income of the farmers.  It is up to the farmers to set up a business in their own farm land. Farmers can avail assistance under various schemes of the Government such as Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), creation of 10000 FPOs, Honey Mission and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), for setting up of value addition and processing units near to farm gate to help them improve marketability and market access to their produce. 

There are many small businesses/ enterprises, farmers can set up in their own farms  e.g. Mushroom cultivation, poultry, dairy, fishery,  sericulture, nurseries of various crops, seed growing, a variety of horticulture activities, bee keeping, compost making etc.  All these activities are covered under various schemes of the government.  Farmers, including young farmers, can also set up start- ups under Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) - RAFTAAR having innovative solutions/ business ideas with assistance from Government. In addition, farmers can avail benefit under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for supplementing their incomes.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.