Create And Develop Successful Businesses Through Farm Ideas.

Biofloc farming-Low cost fish farming to double farm income

2020-06-06T21:17:00.002-07:00

In simple words,Biofloc fish farming means doing high density fish farming in a tank without changing water by converting the fish wastage in to fish food with the help of micro organisms like Algae,fungi,bacteria etc.

This can be a good business Idea for the NRIs, Migrants returned back to their home village due to Covid-19 economic challenges.

Benefits of Biofloc Fish Farming

1)It require limited space to do fish farming

2)Once Setup,daily maintenance can be done easily

3)Additional fish food generated by Algae,fungi etc by converting waste from the tank

4)Water change cost,cleaning and some portion of food costs are saved

5)No prior experience in Fish farming required,but ensure that you get trained from Government institutions

Benefits for Farmers

1)Low feed cost and waste removal cost

2)Can be started anywhere where sunlight available and minimum space available

3)Once setup daily maintenance is easy

4)Marketing/selling can be done by actually showing fishes in tank

5)By doing effective utilisation of farm space and resources for maintenance,farmers can easily double the farm capacity which will generate additional income.

Things to take care

1)The construction/setup of Biofloc tanks require experience.It is advisable to take help of Government approved agencies under the guidance of an an expert from Government agencies

2)The farmer should be well trained in all aspects of Biofloc farming since this method require technical knowledge of each and every aspects of this new method

3)Care to be taken in the aeration,seeding beneficial microbial,Balancing the carbon and Nitrogen content in the pond,Biofloc growth , Fish health in the pond,Oxygen content etc.

4)Each pond should be Cleaned and disinfected properly after each Harvest.It is not recommended to re-use the same water for next batch.

It is highly recommended that you get trained from your nearest Agricultural universities,Krishi Vigyan Kendra,Krishi Bhavan ,Fisheries department etc and construct your farm under their supervision.There are lots of private consultants working in this field,but quality of their service is not guaranteed and may result in loss of your hard earned Money.

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Fish Farming Business opportunity during Lockdown

2020-05-02T23:00:00.001-07:00

Indian farming sector has taken huge hit during initial days of lock down due to corona virus.This was majorly due to the disruption in supply chain network.Many farmers were worrying how to sell their farm products.But eventually it turns out to be huge opportunity for those farmers who know how to tun the situation positively. Even though the supply chain network is disrupted,there exists a huge demand from consumer side for essential farm products.The consumers are even worried about the shortage of such products.So through this post we will discuss how to we can take care of this situation.

Majority people in the supply chain are Brokers and commission agents.The profits which are supposed to be reached in the hands of farmers were eaten by these people.Now supply chain is disrupted ,means those people are not in the field.So if farmers can establish a link to consumers,they have got a permanent business opportunity.

Fish farmers are having huge opportunity in this situation.There is a huge shortage of fish items especially sea fish products during lock down. This shortage is present especially distant areas from sea shore.Fish farmers in this area can utilise this opportunity.They can replace the existing demand with fresh water fish supply from their farm.Huge local consumer demand exists in their area.The thing is that they need to understand this and act accordingly.

Fish farmers can form a group or work individually.Forming a group will be more beneficial in long term.They need to make use of social media platforms like facebook, whatsapp groups to connect with consumers in their area.they need to arrange a home delivery system locally.Since cheap labour is readily available now due to lock down,this will not be a problem for those who are determined.

You can commit home delivery on fixed dates with fixed quantity and you need to ensure whatever you commit you will fulfil.From customer point of view,they are getting huge relief as their worry of not getting fish product is solved.Also you will be delivering to their doorstep during this lock down at reasonable price.You need to have a long term view to sustainability of your business even after lock down.If you meet the expectations of your customers,eventually they will form a habit of getting the products to their doorstep from you.They will not search anywhere else.You can route other farm products also through this channel at later stage.

So this lock down is a huge opportunity for farmers to capture supply chain network and control their network.Middle men will be removed and farming will become profitable.Customers also get healthy farm products at reasonable price directly from farm.This is applicable for all sectors of farming.Fish farmers should take initiative in this,because demand is always there for their products.

Fresh Water Fish Farming in Ponds-A small scale business opportunity

Corona Lock Down-Greatest Business Opportunity for Farmers

2020-04-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

During this Corona virus lock down situation, farmers in India are facing serious challenges in selling their products and continuing their farming activities.Continuing farming activities in such situations are difficult but if you already had implemented below suggestions given earlier in this blog,you can easily this situation.Below are the posts which will help you in this

1)Liquidity issue:Not only farmers,all the businesses are facing cash crunch during this lock down.If you have saved your Emergency fund,you can easily manage this situation.We had given detailed post on this subject:Emergency Fund

2)Track your Income and Expenses:You should track your Income and expenses daily.Take necessary action to eliminate or postpone the Expenses part till the situation comes to normal.You can think of opportunities to increase the income part.Detailed post was given in this post:Track your Income and Expenses

3)Farmers Co-operative Societies:Existing farmers co-operative societies can easily tide over this situation.They can attract bulk buyers easily and can arrange transportation of farm materials easily.Individual farmers are facing much difficulty in such activities.We had suggested about forming farmers associations in many posts.One such post (The post is regarding Onion farming,but you can apply it anywhere)is given in the link :Farmers co-operative Societies.

If you have not done any of this,still you have got opportunities

Realisation is the greatest teacher.

You have got the Greatest business opportunity

It is proved that local shops and online delivery stores are the greatest business opportunities in this situation.During Lock down people were heavily depending on these modes of businesses.Online stores failed in some areas due to logistic issues but are doing great work in city areas.Local stores are doing their best to cop up with the surge in demand.Farmers are having great business opportunity here.

Take these steps immediately within a week

1)Form a group of five to six farmers having similar business mind.

2)Take orders from local shops which are selling your farm products.OR take orders from consumers directly(Homes/flates in your nearby area)

3)Use social media like WhatsApp ,facebook groups to get orders and information regarding available items to sell.Arrange delivery.

4)Use cash on delivery or Digital payment methods.Digital payment methods are recommended.

5)Forming farmers group will help you to overcome any challenge you face in this situation.Biggest challenge will be logistics,which you can overcome with a group of farmers by contacting local authorities.

If you can execute these steps,you have done a very good service to the society in this tough situation.If you ensure daily service with reliability and trust,you can continue this business even after lock down. You must understand that difficult situations give birth to greatest opportunities.

Note: You must check the current Lock down situation in your area before venturing in to the business.You must take approval from local authorities so that you will not face any legal issues.Considering this situation,most of the authorities will give approval for home delivery of farm items if the condition permits.

Please comment below your experiences and any queries

Farmers Finance

Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program(PMEGP)

2020-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program(PMEGP) is a flagship project of Ministry of Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises,Government of India.Many Farmers and Entrepreneurs are not fully aware of this scheme and its benefits.The speciality of this scheme is that apart from financial aid and subsidy,this program addressed the very basic needs of training ,professional guidance and information which every entrepreneur require at the initial stages of starting their business.

You can apply for this scheme online by visiting the website.

This program aims to provide financial support up to Rs.25 Lakhs for manufacturing sector and up to Rs.10 Lakhs for Service sector for starting a New business.

This program is designed with Entrepreneurship Development Program which will provide end to end information about the Entrepreneurship which are very essential for starting a business.The loan amount will be disbursed only after successful completion of the program.

KVIC is the Nodal agency for this program and the subsidy details are given below.

You can access all relevant information about the scheme from Government portal for Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program(PMEGP)

In PMEGP Portal link towards EDP(Entrepreneurship Development Program)is given.It is very useful for young entrepreneurs.Free and paid materials are available in this course.You can access the course material directly through Entrepreneurship Development Program link.Many Entrepreneurs are not aware of this course which is very useful.

The course material includes video on various business opportunities and how they are functioning.It will help the entrepreneurs to relate their business idea with the industry practices.The subsidy related information of PMEGP is available at various sources in Internet,but the information about the course detail is very rare and it is the most useful part of this program.I request all of you to go through the website and use the information for your betterment.

Honey Bee Farming-How to Start and Government Subsidies/Schemes

2020-03-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Many crop farmers and individuals who want to start Honey Bee farming(Apiculture) don't know how to start beekeeping and many Government subsidies/schemes for promoting beekeeping. Through this post I will provide you information that will help to to know where to start and what to do next.The first thing you need to understand is that Honey Bee Farming is not for everyone.Only those who are passionate about Bees can succeed in this area.Those who are willing to study more about Honey Bees will navigate successfully through this farm business.

Get Trained

This is the most important step towards starting a Honey Bee Farming Business.You can contact your nearest Krishi Bhavan,KVK,Agriculture Universities,Khadi Board,National Bee Board for getting the training programs they conduct and enrol yourself in such training programs.By attending such programs,you will actually experience Beekeeping and you can understand whether you can go for it or not.You will be getting all the experience of various equipments used in Beekeeping and contact information of various suppliers of such equipment.Apart from various scientific aspects of Honey Bee farming,usually at the end of such programs,you will get opportunity to purchase Bee colonies ,equipments,Bee Boxes etc.Opportunity to build a network of Home Bee Farmers is an added advantage of such programs.

Start immediately after Training

After training,you should start immediately otherwise you will loose many contacts you have established and the experience you gained during training.Place the Colonies in silent or less crowded area of your farm.You need to check whether any threats are present in that area like Ants,pests,Chemicals etc.By this time,you would have got enough training to identify such places and start farming.

Maintenance and Running the Business

Major challenges of Honey Bee Farming is farm maintenance,splitting of Bee Colonies,curing diseases,Monsoon care etc.Also you need to ensure enough Market for your Honey.Contacting your fellow farmers,trainer frequently and Building your Network and keeping it live will help you in all these aspects.You can market your Honey through various government programs and Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers. Maintaining good contacts will help you in this.

Government Subsidies/Schemes for Honey farming

1)Training on Honey Bee Farming with Stipend: These training programs are provided by State Khadi and Village Industries Boards. The stipend may vary state to state but definitely you will get an assisted training program.Please visit your state khadi board website for information.Link of such program conducted by Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board is given.Visit contacts page to get contact information of your nearest office.

2)Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme(PMEGP):Through this programme,you can get Loan up to 25 Lakhs in Manufacturing and 10 Lakhs in Service sector.Own contribution will be 10% .Rate of Subsidy will be 25% in Rural areas and 15% in Urban Areas.Details of such scheme of Kerala Khadi Board is given in the link PMEGP-Kerala

Link of National Khadi Board PMEGP scheme is given in this Link.

3)National Beekeeping and Honey Mission:It is a newly introduced program for Mass honey production termed by Hon'ble Prime Minister as 'Sweet Kranti'(Sweet Revolution).This program aims creating an end to end framework for skill development,employment generation,income generation and reducing unemployment among youth.Details of this program is available in the given guideline link.National Beekeeping and Honey Mission(NBHM).Contact nearest KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries commission)centre for applying the scheme.

Requesting all of our readers to go through the Government site links provided above and understand the details from Government site.It is very important that you apply for the benefits of these schemes.

Honey Bee Farming

List of Government Agriculture Subsidy Schemes(Kisan yojanas) for Farmers

2020-02-22T23:39:00.000-08:00

Government of India is coming up with lots of subsidy schemes for farmers to promote agriculture in India.Budget 2020 also allocated considerable portion of fund to subsidy schemes for farmers.It is very important for farmers to understand such schemes and avail the benefits for which they are eligible.The formalities for these schemes are simplified so that each farmer can avail the benefits without any hassle.This post contain list of government agriculture subsidy schemes (kisan yojanas)for farmers.By clicking on the links,you can get more details(eligibility criteria,benefits,how to apply etc) about the schemes

PM KISAN : Rs.6000 per year directly to bank account of each farmer.The formalities are simple and you need to show land proof and identity proof along with application.
Kisan Credit Card(KCC) :Easy credit to farmers up to 3 Lakhs at effective interest rate of 4%.Marginal farmers will get credit of up to 50000.Credit easily available for PM KISAN holders.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyaan(PM KUSUM) :Solar powered agriculture pumps with subsidy.Farmers will get opportunity for extra income by selling extra energy to grid.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana(PMFBY) : Crop insurance scheme for farmers.Premium is very cheap at subsidised rate.Very helpful for farmers to manage risks associated with farming.
16 Points planned in Budget 2020 :Apart from above schemes,Government has allocated funds to various schemes in Budget 2020.Details are available in the link.
Prime Ministers Employment Generation Program (PMEGP):This is one of the unique scheme which contain financial aid as well as development course which is very useful

I will be updating this list as and when new schemes are introduced or I get to know about any scheme.I request all farmers to avail these benefits so that Government's intention to boost farmers income successfully implemented.If you are facing any issue,feel free to comment below.

Farmers Finance

Kisan Credit Card-How to Apply and get Benefited

2020-02-21T22:46:00.000-08:00

Kisan credit card(KCC) scheme was introduced by Government of India in 1998 to ensure easy credit availability to farmers from Banks.This scheme was not very popular during initial years due to various reasons mainly less interest shown by Banks due to NPA issues.But after the push from current government and RBI,it is mandatory for banks to show some part of their loan book as Agricultural loan.For domestic scheduled commercial banks(like SBI,Indian bank,Bank of India,Syndicate Bank,ICICI Bank,Federal Bank etc) they should show 18% of the total outstanding loan as Agricultural loan.A sub limit of 8 % is allocated for small and marginal farmers.

Kisan Credit card is one of the smartest way to ensure reach of easy Agricultural loan facility to farmers.It facilitates farmers to purchase Agricultural inputs such as Seeds,Fertilisers,Pesticides etc and use cash for their day to day farm expenses.It also ensures credit availability for post harvest expenses.

An ATM Enabled Rupay Debit card will be provided for farmers who successfully join KCC. A flexible amount from 10000 to 50000 is provided for marginal farmers(Farmers with landholding up to 1 Hectare) as Flexi KCC. The KCC limit is to be fixed for 5 years.The amount can be revised whenever need arises and farmers can approach bank in such scenarios.

For small farmers(Landholding 1 to 2 Hectares) and other large farmers up to 3 lakh loan is available.Above 1.6 Lakhs, collateral security is to be provided. Upto 1.6Lakhs,No such security is required.

The Main attraction of this Credit facility is that the interest rate is 7% only.Apart from this, 3% interest subvention is provided for prompt repayment of the loan.This makes interest rate of Kisan Credit card 4% effectively.

How to Apply for KCC

You can apply by visiting Bank branch and submitting duly filled application form.The KCC application form is available in the Link. Your identity,Address proof and land documents will be required.It will be an added advantage of you approach the same Bank branch where your PM-KISAN account exists.Banks are giving priority to their existing PM KISAN Members.

Detailed Master Circular issued to Banks by RBI on 4th July 2018 regarding Kisan Credit Card is given in the link.You can Visit the link to Read the Kisan Credit card RBI Circular

The Circular released by Ministry of Finance is given in below Link.You can get details of Kisan Credi Card(KCC) Scheme from this Circular also.

It is expected that all farmers who has availed PM-KISAM amount of Rs.6000,get benefit of KCC also.Requesting all farmers to visit bank branch to avail the credit.Farmers should avail all such scheme benefits so that Government's plan to promote Agriculture is achieved.

PM-KISAN Scheme-How to apply and what are the Benefits

2020-02-09T01:06:00.002-08:00

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi(PM-KISAN) is a Central Govenment scheme promoted by Government of India for the betterment of Agriculture and farmers.This is a revolutionary scheme which directly infuse Rs.6000 per year to the bank account of each Farmer family.The major attraction of this scheme is that the processes are made very simple and the benefit is directly credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries.Lots of middle men and red tapes are cleared by this scheme and farmers who have knowledge of this scheme are actually getting benefited.Lots of transparency are brought into this scheme and you can check your application status online also.The escalation mechanism is also very effective and Government of India take it very seriously if any lapses are found from the sides of Government officials.

Budget 2020-21 also stressed the importance of this scheme and this scheme got primary importance among Agricultural schemes from Government of India.

You can get all the necessary details of the scheme by visiting official website of PM KISAN

For applying this scheme,visit nearest Common service centres/Akshaya/Krishi Bhavan/KVK .You can apply online from these centres or directly through official site(it is better you do it through common service centres/Akshaya as they are well aware of how to apply for this scheme).The process is very simple but practice makes it perfect for these centres.

Since all the eligibility criteria,conditions and benefits are present in the official website given above,I am not repeating the same here.Application form for Kisan Credit Card (KCC) also available in official site.All you need to do is go through the same and apply for it.Do not limit or confuse yourself by thinking whether you will get it or not.You take action and rest will follow.

In addition to the monitory benefit of Rs.6000 per year,you will be officially recognised as an eligible farmer by Government of India and this will be an add on advantage while you apply for other agricultural schemes like Kisan Credit card,PM Fasal Bima Yojana etc.Kindly note that eligibility criteria may vary from scheme to scheme and you need to be satisfying such conditions also. So it is always better you apply for this scheme and get benefited.

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Budget 2020:Government plan to double farmers income by 2022

2020-02-06T07:11:00.001-08:00

The Budget 2020-21 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is planning to double the income of farmers by 2022.The Budget plan to revive the agriculture economy and boost the rural economy by ensuring more cash flow in the hands of farmers. Government increased the allocation to agriculture by 3 percent over previous budget.It is to be noted that,the economy is going through slowdown,still Government allocated higher percent for Agriculture sector.This itself highlight that Government is more concerned over the issues faced by farmers and more focused approach can be expected from their side.

Government is planning to ensure direct cash to the accounts of farmers through PM-KISAN SAMMAN NIDHI(PM-KISAN).It is a central sector scheme with 100 % funding from Government of India.Income support of Rs.6000 is provided to all families of farmers in three equal instalments of Rs.2000/ each.The fund is directly transferrec to the bank account of beneficiaries directly.More details are available in the official website https://www.pmkisan.gov.in/

Through 16 points to boost agriculture income,Government is providing Solar Pumps and Opportunity for farmers to earn extra income by selling extra electricity to the grid.The scheme is PM-KUSUM. Infrastructure level plans like more warehouses,Kisan Rail,Krishi Udaan etc are also planned.You can get more details of the 16 points by visiting the link given above.

Overall,the budget is more focused on agriculture and given much needed importance to this sector.The important factor is its execution and the participation from farmers.These plans are beneficial for farmers and we would request all of our readers to go through these details and enrol yourself to get benefited.Do not shy away from Government schemes.The determining factor for success of these schemes is your participation.

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Budget 2020-21:Extra income for farmers through Solar Pumps(PM-KUSUM)

2020-02-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

During Budget presentation on 1st February 2020,Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that government will help 20 lakh farmers across the country to setup Solar Pumps in their barren lands.Farmers can sell the excess energy to grid for earning some extra income.This is a major proposal to promote Agriculture in barren land as well as Solar Energy production in remote areas.This scheme is provided under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyaan(PM KUSUM) Scheme.The scheme will help farmers living in barren areas to make their farm income sustainable.

As per the guideline published earlier on 22 July 2019,following Components are covered in this Scheme.Detailed guideline(22 July 2019) is available by visiting mnre.gov.in website.Please note that the guideline is old one and changes are there as per new announcement.

10000 MW of decentralised ground mounted grid connected Renewable Power Plants of individual size up to 2 MW.
Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone solar powered Agriculture pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP
Solarisation of 10 lakh Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP

It is expected that farmer has to bear 10% of the total cost.60% cost will be given as Subsidy by Government(Central and state/UT) and 30% will be provided as Loan with low interest rate.There is a difference in percentage of Subsidy based on UT/State.In primary analysis,it is clear that this move will help Government to address multiple issues through a single Scheme.Through this scheme,the "Anna dataa will become Urja dataa also".

One more announcement is that additional 15 Lakh farmers will get support from Government to convert their existing grid-connected Pumps to Solar Pumps.This will definitely boost the farm income as the solar energy is very cheap and farmers will get an opportunity to sell extra Energy with the help of Power Purchase Agreement.

Lots of positive recommendations are given in this budget for farmers.Requesting every farmer to keep in touch with nearby Government agencies such as Krishi Bhavan,KVK,Agriculture universities etc to get more detailed knowledge of these proposals and get benefited.

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