1. National Policy on Farmers 2007 and
Agriculture Enterprise Facilitation Centres
(AEFC)
Jitesh Panda
Vrutti Livelihoods Resource Centre
16 Dec 09

2. About AEFCs….
Focuses on Agriculture and related Enterprises
Considers “Farming” as “Enterprise” and “Farmer” as
“Entrepreneur”
Facilitates Business Development Services (BDS) to Agriculture
Enterprises through
Cadre of Village based individual BDS Providers
Linkage with other Government, CSOs and Private
Companies supporting Agriculture Enterprises
Promoted through local Civil Society Organization with
experience/Expertise in promotion of Agriculture and/or
Enterprises

3. National Policy on Farmers 2007

4. Primary Focus of Policy….
The Primary Focus of this policy is on
‘farmer’ defined holistically and
not merely on Agriculture.
Relates to Farmer as Entrepreneur

5. Overall Objective of Policy….
To improve the
Economic Viability of Farming
through
substantially improving Net Income of farmers
Focus on Farming as an Enterprise

6. Need for Policy on Farmers….
Profitability THAN just Productivity
Consumption and Investment THAN just
Consumption by Farmers
Socio Economic Wellbeing THAN just
Production/Growth
Need relates to orienting Agriculture as Industry;
Facilitating transition from Farming to Enterprise

7. Major Policy Goals….
To improve economic viability of farming
Relates to Farming as Enterprise
To promote protect and improve agriculture relates assets by
creating economic stake in conservation
Emphasis on Economic Stake
To develop support services linked to inputs
Focus on Business Services (could be facilitated through
BDS)
To strengthen the Bio-Security, Income Security of farmers and
Trade Security of India
Focus on Enterprise and Value Chains/Trade

8. Major Policy Goals….
To provide appropriate price and trade policy mechanisms to
enhance farmers’ income
Focus on Enterprise and Value Chain
To provide for suitable risk management measures for adequate
and timely compensation to farmers
Focus on Risk Management
To complete the unfinished agenda in land reforms and to
initiate comprehensive asset reforms
Focus on Economic Asset – including Land
To mainstream the human and gender dimension in all farm
policies and programmes

9. Major Policy Goals….
To pay explicit attention to sustainable rural livelihoods
Relates to Employment and Enterprise
To foster community-centred food, water, energy and nutritional
security systems
Focus on local level interventions
To attract and retain youths in farming and value addition
activities
Involving youth in Agriculture through Enterprise Orientation
To make India a global outsourcing hub in the production and
supply of the inputs needed for sustainable agriculture;
products and processes developed through biotechnology and
Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

10. Major Policy Goals….
To restructure the agricultural curriculum and pedagogic
methodologies for enabling every farm and home science
graduate to become an entrepreneur and to make agricultural
education gender sensitive
Focus on Economic of Agriculture; Developing Agriculture
Entrepreneur
To develop and introduce a social security system for farmers.
To provide appropriate opportunities in adequate measure for
non-farm employment for the farm households
Focus on Non Farm Enterprises

11. Focus of Policy relating Extension, Training and
Knowledge Connectivity…
Lab to Land Training by KVKs
Strengthening Extension System through
retraining and retooling of existing extension personnel
Promoting farmer to farmer learning by setting up farm
schools in the fields of outstanding / progressive farmers.
Relates to Individual Village based BDS Provider
Promoting Convergence at District level
Establishing ICT led Gyan Chaupals in villages; Linking with
Common Service Centres promoted by Department of
Information Technology
Relates Information aspects of BDS
Limited focus on BDS

12. Overall National Policy on Farmers 2007
explains the relevance
of
Promoting Block level AEFC

13. Thank you