ODP × Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare × NABARD

Turn your agriculture degree into a farmer-facing enterprise.

The Agri-Clinics & Agri-Business Centres (ACABC) scheme trains qualified agriculture graduates to become rural entrepreneurs — delivering the advisory, inputs, and market access that "Better Farming by Every Farmer" requires.

45 daysfree residential training
₹100Lceiling for a 5-member group project
2 yrsloan moratorium (grace period)
6eligible graduate streams
The vision

From graduates to agri-preneurs

The ACABC scheme draws on the vast intellectual reservoir of agriculture graduates — recent graduates, seasoned professionals, and career-changers alike — and equips them to open their own Agri-Clinic or Agri-Business Centre.

Participants move from job seeker to job creator, delivering professional extension services to a farming community that runs on innovation and expert guidance.

Who's eligible
  • Graduates in Agriculture and allied sciences
  • Horticulture & Sericulture
  • Veterinary Sciences & Dairy
  • Forestry, Poultry Farming and Fisheries
Comprehensive, free training

A 45-day residential program, fully funded

Coordinated by MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management) and initiated by SFAC (Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium), the curriculum blends entrepreneurship, business management, and hands-on skill-building in your chosen niche — at no cost to you.

Where the eligible graduates come from

SHARE OF ELIGIBLE STREAMS FEEDING THE ACABC PIPELINE

Curriculum focus areas

RELATIVE WEIGHT ACROSS THE 45-DAY PROGRAM
Choose your model

Agri-Clinics vs. Agri-Business Centres

The program supports two distinct, complementary ways to serve farmers — advisory-led, or supply-and-market-led.

FeatureAgri-ClinicsAgri-Business Centres
Primary focus Expert advisory and diagnostic services Input supply, farm equipment leasing, and market linkages
Core services Soil health monitoring, crop protection, clinical services for livestock Sale of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides; post-harvest technology
Objective Enhance crop productivity through scientific intervention Increase farmer income through efficient resource management
Key consultancy areas
  • Crop selection and best farm practices
  • Post-harvest value-added options and risk mitigation
  • Market trends, pricing intelligence and crop insurance
  • Sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) compliance for global standards
What you bring to the village
  • Internet-based weather forecasting
  • Digital market news and price discovery
  • Modern credit access at the farmer's doorstep
Financial empowerment

Capital, structured for a first-time entrepreneur

ODP helps you access bank loans and subsidies under the ACABC scheme so your project's viability isn't limited by upfront capital. Final sanction depends on the techno-economic viability of your business proposal.

Project cost ceilings

MAXIMUM ELIGIBLE PROJECT COST, ₹ LAKHS

Loan tenure structure

MORATORIUM + REPAYMENT WINDOW, IN YEARS
₹20–25L
Individual project ceiling, extendable for exceptionally successful ventures
₹100L
Group project ceiling, for a group of 5 (one may be a Management Graduate)
RBI-governed
Interest & security terms set by the financing bank; margin money assistance where eligible