PANAJI: The Government of lndia is implementing a new Central Sector Scheme "Financing Facility under Agriculture infrastructure Fund". With an objective to mobilize a medium long term debt finances facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through incentives and financial support in order to improve agriculture infrastructure in the country.
The financing facility will have numerous objectives for all the stakeholders in the agriculture eco-system i.e. farmers (including FPOS, PACS, marketing coop societies, multipurpose coop societies), government, agri entrepreneurs and startups, Banking ecosystem, consumers, etc.
The salient features of the scheme are: All loans will have interest subventions of 3% per annum upto a limit of Rs2 crore and credit guarantee coverage also. The National, State and District Level Monitoring Committees are set up to ensure real time monitoring and reflective feed back. The duration of the scheme is 10 years i.e. 2020-29. Any grant or subsidy available under any present or future scheme of Central/State Government can be availed for projects under this facility. Minimum of 10% of the project cost shall be mandatory as promoters contribution.
The detail operational guidelines of the scheme can be downloaded from the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of lndia, New Delhi website.
Those interested may contact the Directorate of Agriculture, Tonca, Caranzalem or Zonal Agricultural Officer of their Taluka for more information.
