Agriculture Infrastructure Fund – AIF

Scheme Details and Objectives:

Keeping in view the importance of infrastructure development in the agriculture sector, the Government of
India has launched Central Sector Scheme of Financing in August 2020 under Agriculture Infrastructure
Fund. It has a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore, out of which, a sum of Rs 3900 Cr has been allocated to Haryana
State. This scheme will be operational from 2020-21 to 2032-33. Loan disbursement under the scheme will
complete in six years from 2020-21 to 2025-26. This Central Sector Scheme has been formulated to mobilize
a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects relating to post-harvest
management Infrastructure and community farming assets through incentives and financial support. The
objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers and agri-enterprises to invest and adopt modern technologies
to enhance their income by reducing post harvest losses, avoid distress selling and value addition to the
agriculture produce. Apart from this, another objective is to encourage farmers to have high quality produce
based on food standards and to make their produce available in the international market.

The salient features of the scheme are summarized below-

 All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of ₹
2 crore.
 Repayment period covered under the financing facility will be for a maximum period of 7 years
including the moratorium period of up to 2 years.
 Credit guarantee coverage fee will be paid by Government of India (GOI) from the financing facility
under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up
to ₹ 2 crore.
 The Credit guarantee scheme for Farmer Producer Company (FPO) has been approved by GOI and is
being implemented through the Trust by NABSanrakshan Trustee Private Limited.
 It is a unique scheme where the benefit of capital subsidy under any present or future scheme of
Central/State government can be availed and converged with the benefit of interest subvention under
this scheme e.g. Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), Crop Cluster Development
Programme (CCDP), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), PM Formalisation
of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI )
scheme of Integrated scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM), Gobar Dhan under Swachh Bharat
Mission (SBM)-Gramin, Central Sector Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Cooperation (CSISAC),
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana (PM-KUSUM), etc.
However, a minimum of 10% of the project cost shall be mandatory as promoter’s contribution.
  AgriInfra Portal (https://agriinfra.dac.gov.in) has been created and eligible individuals / institutions
can apply online for loan through this portal.

Eligible Beneficiaries:
 Farmer
 Farmer Producers Organization (FPO)
 Federation of Farmer Produce Organisations
 Agri-Entrepreneur
 Self Help Group (SHGs)
 Federations of Self Help Groups
 Joint Liability Groups (JLGs)
 Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS)
 Start-Up
 Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)
 Central sponsored Public-Private Partnership Project
 Local Body sponsored Public-Private Partnership Project
 Marketing Cooperative Society
 Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MCS)
 National Federations of Cooperatives
 State Agencies
 State Federations of Cooperatives
 State sponsored Public-Private Partnership Project

Eligible Lending Institutions:

 All scheduled Commercial Banks
 Scheduled Cooperative Banks
 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)
 Small Finance Banks
 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)
 National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
 DCCBs with PACS affiliation
List of Eligible Activities:

Eligible projects for all eligible beneficiaries

A) Post-Harvest Management Projects

1. Supply chain services including e-marketing platforms

2. Warehouse & Silos
3. Cold Stores and Cold Chain
4. Packaging Units
5. Assaying Units
6. Sorting and grading units
7. Logistic Facilities- Reefer Van & Insulated vehicles
8. Ripening Chambers
9. Farm residue/waste management infrastructures
10. Primary Processing activities
11. Integrated primary and secondary processing activities*(See Table 1)

B) Viable Farming Assets

 Organic inputs production – Vermi composting etc.

 Compressed Biogas ( CBG) Plant
 Bio stimulant production units
 Infrastructure for smart and precision agriculture -Purchase of drones, boom sprayer, putting up
specialized sensors on field, Blockchain and AI in agriculture etc. , Remote sensing and Internet of
Things (IOT) such as automatic weather station, Farm advisory services through GIS applications.
 Nursery
 Tissue culture
 Seed Processing
 Custom Hiring Center –farm machinery/ implements ( minimum of 4 in quantity)
 Farm/Harvest Automation (combine harvestor, sugarcane harvestor etc.)
 PM-KUSUM component A: Setting up of Solar energy-based power plants (SEPP) of capacity 500
kW to 2 MW by individual farmers/ group of farmers/ cooperatives/ panchayats/ Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPO)/Water User associations (WUA) on barren /cultivable /uncultivable
/pasturelands or marshy lands
 PM-KUSUM component B: For individual farmers to install standalone solar agriculture pumps of
capacity up to 7.5 HP in off-grid areas, where grid supply is not available
 PM-KUSUM component C: For individual farmers having grid connected agriculture pump to
solarise pumps
 Integrated Spirulina production & processing units
 Sericulture processing unit
 Honey processing
 Plant quarantine units
  Projects identified for providing supply chain infrastructure for clusters of crops including export
clusters.
 Projects promoted by Central/State/Local Governments or their agencies under PPP for building
viable farming assets or post-harvest management projects.
 Hydroponic Farming
 Mushroom farming
 Vertical farming
 Aeroponic farming
 Poly house/ Greenhouse

C) Eligible for groups only such as FPOs, PACS, SHGs, JLGs, Cooperatives, National and State Level
Federation of Co-operatives, Federations of SHGs and FPOs, National and State Level Agencies

 Logistics facilities (including non-refrigerated/insulated vehicles)

 Tractor

D) Others-Additional information:

 Solarization of any of the eligible infrastructure can also be financed under AIF
 Digital Connectivity and optic fiber infrastructure shall be eligible investment as part of development
of the aforementioned eligible projects.

Online Application Process-

 AgriInfra Portal (https://agriinfra.dac.gov.in) has been created and eligible individuals / institutions
can apply online for registration through this portal.
 After registering online, the applicant will get a login ID and password to access portal.
 Applicant has to upload Detailed Project Report (DPR) along with soft copy of required documents.
 On completion of the application, Beneficiary ID will be issued to the applicant through which he can
check the current status of his application online.
 After verification of the application by Central PMU, the application will be forwarded to lending
institution and after checking the related documents, DPR and financial viability of the project; the
application may be accepted or rejected. If accepted, loan will be sanctioned and then disbursed in
maximum 60 days from the date of receipt of application.
 Monitoring of this scheme will be done online through 'Management Information System' and status
of the application can be checked at any point of time by the beneficiary or concerned bank, etc.
 Online platform will ensure transparency, faster approval process along with providing information
like interest rates offered by multiple banks, scheme details including interest subvention and credit
guarantee, minimum documents required, etc.
Sequential Presentation of Application Process
Preparation
of 'Detailed Verification Scrutiny of
Applicant
Project of DPR and application,
Registration
Report' other related
on Agri Infra Disburse-
(DPR). documents documents
Portal ment of
Uploading by Central and
(https://agrii Loan
of DPR and PMU and sanction of
nfra.dac.gov
other forwarding loan by
.in)
documents it to bank bank branch
online

Implementation of the Scheme:

 The implementation of the scheme will be done by the state government, for which a State Level
Monitoring Committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of the state.
 The nodal department of the scheme is located in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
(Krishi Bhawan), Sector 21, Panchkula, Haryana. The scheme guidelines are available on website of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Department, Haryana also (www.agriharyana.gov.in)
 To run this scheme smoothly and systematically, Project Monitoring Unit - Agricultural Infrastructure
Fund (PMU-AIF) has also been established in Haryana. PMU will provide handholding approach to
applicants at every level from application, approval and implementation of the scheme. It will also
monitor and coordinate with all stakeholders of the scheme regularly.
 The Deputy Commissioner/District Collector will be the Chairman of the District Level Monitoring
Committee. Other members of DLMC are Chief Executive Officer of District Panchayat/CDO (Vice
Chairman), District Officer of Agriculture, District Registrar Officers nominated Cooperative
Societies, Officers nominated by State, Lead District Manager of DLBC, District Manager
NABARD.
 District Development Manager (DDM) will act as Member Secretary and where DDM is not
available; Lead District Manager will act as Member Secretary.
 Interested beneficiaries can contact the district level officials of the concerned departments, various
bank branches & their regional officers and NABARD Cluster Office for clarification.
 *Table 1 - Crop wise Eligible Activities

Eligible Integrated
Eligible Primary Ineligible
Sl. Secondary
Crops Processing Activities Activities
No. Processing Activities
Cereals & Millets Cleaning, De-Stoning, Products like Bread, Biscuits, Malting and
Wheat, Rice, Sorting & Grading, Hulling, Pasta, snack foods etc., starch, alcoholic
Sorghum, Barley, Milling (Flour, Maida, Sooji, Oat Meal, Sorghum Syrup, beverage making
Maize, Oat Etc. Daliya), Pounding, Grinding, vinegar, Roasted, Fortified,
1 Tempering, Parboiling, Puffed products, animal feed
Soaking, Drying, Sieving,
Irradiation, Packaging,
Flaking, Storage(Warehouse,
Silos)
Fruits And Washing, Cleaning, Drying, Fruit juices, pulp, ketchup, fruit Alcoholic
Vegetables Sorting, Grading, Freezing concentrates, Jams, jellies, beverage
(IQF & Blast), Blanching For Candies, marmalades, fruit making
Primary Processing, Cooling, fillings, and canned fruits,
2 Waxing, Conditioning, Pack Canned vegetables, vegetable
house, Cold Store, Ripening juices, pickles, chutneys, and
Chamber, Reefer Van, Bucket vegetable purees., vinegar,
Elevators, Packaging dehydrated fruit and vegetables,
Fruit and Vegetable Powders &
flour
Oilseeds & Oil Cleaning, De-Stoning, De- Refining Oil-based
3 Palms Husking, (Decorticating lubricants,
Groundnut, Machines), Winnowing, Oil Biodiesel
Rapeseed & Extraction(Ghani, Hydraulic
Mustard, Soybean, Press etc.), Solvent
Sunflower, Sesame, Extraction, Oil Seed Cake
Safflower, Linseed,
Olives, Oil Palm
Etc.
4 Pulses Cleaning, De-Stoning, Drying, Pulse-based snacks(roasted Pulse-based
(Bengal Gram , Sorting & Grading, De- chickpeas, lentil chips, and pea protein powders
Pigeon Peas, Green Husking, Splitting, De-Hulling, crisps), Canned pulses, guar
Gram, Chick Peas, Milling (Besan) , Irradiation, gum, Pulse-based flake, animal
Black Gram, Red Packaging, Storage feed, ready to cook & ready to
Kidney Beans, Black eat foods, Papads etc.
Eyed Peas, White
Peas Etc.)
5 Spices Cleaning, Drying, Sorting, Spice pastes, Spices mix,
Boiling, Polishing, Grinding, extracts and essential oils,
Red Chilli, Cumin, Packaging, Storage, Irradiation Infused oils and vinegars,
Clove, Coriander, Pickled spices
Cinnamon, Garlic,
Ginger, Turmeric,
Fenugreek
,Cardamom Etc.
 6 Cash Crops

Cotton Cleaning, Drying, Ginning, Fibre Making, Fibre scouring Weaving, Textiles,
Pressing & Bailing, Linting, plastics, synthetic
Cotton Seed Oil, Seed Cake rubber
Sugarcane Cane Unloading, Cleaning, Making Paper&
Cane Breaking, Cane Milling, Board with
Straining, Evaporators, Bagasse,
Centrifugation, Storage Tanks, Fermentation,
Dryers, Sugar Crystals, Alcoholic
Jaggery, Packaging & Storage Distillation

Jute Cutting, Retting, Stripping, Jute rope making Making Jute Cloth,
Washing, Drying, Bailing, Bags, Sacks
Packing, Storage
7 Nuts Cleaning, Grading, Streaming Nut butter, roasted nuts, nut
In Boiler, Shell Cutting, milk, nut flour, candied nuts, and
Drying, Peeling, Grading, nut oils and snacks.
Packaging, Shelling,
Cashew, Almonds, Separation, Packaging,
Walnuts, Pistachios Hulling, Washing, Drying,
etc Storage, Packaging, Conveying
Belts
8 Herbal, Medicinal & Cleaning, Sorting, Drying, Syrup Herbal
Aromatic Crops Milling, Extraction Of Oil, supplements like
(Barberry, Packaging, Storage capsules, tablets,
or other forms,
Liquorice, Bael,
Pills, Cream
Isabgol, Guggal,
Kerth, Aonla,
Chandan, Senna,
Baiberang, Brahmi,
Eucalyptus,
Jatamansi etc.)
9 Fodder Crops Cutting, Mixing, Grinding Feed blocks, Fodder meals, Hay Protein
Berseem, Forage cubes and pellets concentrates
Sorghum, Etc.
10 Tuber Crops Peeling And Washing, Grating, Chips, flour, Starch Alcoholic Products
Sweet Potatoes, Fermentation, Drying, Sieving,
Cassava Etc. Milling, Storage
Note:

1. Standalone secondary processing infrastructures are not eligible.

2. The above list is illustrative only and not exhaustive