Center Approves Expansion of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

 

Center Approves Expansion of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund


    The Centre has recently expanded the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), which aims to enhance community farming assets and improve post-harvest management infrastructure. The original scheme began on July 8, 2020, which faces important challenges at the grassroots level.

Crop Wastage in India

    India experiences 15-20% crop yield wastage, which is notably higher than the 5-15% seen in advanced economies. Improving infrastructure is crucial to reduce this wastage.

Importance of Agri-Infrastructure

    Agri-infrastructure includes irrigation, power, and transport. These elements enhance credit access and increase yields. They also help small farmers reach better markets. However, private investment remains limited due to various challenges.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

    The government promotes PPPs to improve post-harvest management, which aims to attract private investment in agricultural infrastructure. The AIF supports these initiatives.

Funding Details

    On November 25, 2024, ₹51,451 crore has been sanctioned under the AIF. The total allocation for the scheme is ₹1 lakh crore. Scheduled commercial banks have sanctioned 94.22% of loans. Approved projects total ₹84,669 crore, with ₹33,724 crore disbursed.

Types of Approved Projects

    Most approved projects focus on custom hiring centres, agri-processing units, warehouses, sorting and grading units, and cold storage facilities. Over 47,000 projects, accounting for 56.2%, have been geo-tagged.

    The ₹2 crore loan limit restricts larger projects, such as cold storage chains. There is no provision for working capital, leading to underutilisation. Delays in interest subsidies and lack of awareness among bank officials further complicate matters.

Proposed Solutions

    Increasing the loan limit for renewable energy projects to ₹5-10 crore could help. Providing working capital loans at 25% of project cost may improve project viability. Enhancing the AIF portal’s user-friendliness is also essential. Custom training for bank staff would ensure better understanding of the scheme.

    With these adjustments, the remaining ₹48,549 crore of the fund could be effectively utilised by March 2026.


Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
Farmers
Agricultural modernization
Rural development
Farm equipment financing
Supply chain management
Cold storage facilities
Agro-processing units
Post-harvest management
Government funding schemes
Farmer cooperatives
Agricultural marketing
Sustainable farming practices
Agricultural innovation
Credit support for farmers
Public-private partnerships in agriculture
Loan interest subvention
Agricultural infrastructure projects
Farm productivity enhancement
Self-reliant agriculture


#AgricultureInfrastructure
#FarmersFirst
#RuralDevelopment
#SustainableFarming
#AgriGrowth
#FarmersSupport
#AgriEconomy
#GreenInitiative
#SmartFarming
#FoodSecurity
#AgriInnovation
#FarmersEmpowerment
#AgriTech
#InfrastructureDevelopment
#RuralEmpowerment


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