A Study of Analysis of Social Benefits of Agri Clinics & Agri Business Centres (AC&ABC) Scheme

Abstract

This Paper has quantified and analysed the social benefits viz., tangible and intangible benefits at the entrepreneurial level, at the farmer level and spill over benefits of the Agriclinics and Agri Business Centre Scheme. Primary data were collected from a randomly chosen sample of 160 entrepreneurs and 480 farmers for whom these agripreneurs are providing agricultural extension services. Descriptive statistical techniques and mathematical formulae are used to measure the tangible benefits. Intangible benefits are measured using a Likert 5 point scale. Connecting the tangibles to intangibles using the dummy independent models is another tool used. These Agripreneurs have enjoyed tangible benefits in terms net profit margin, rate of return on investment, net income, increase in household consumption expenditure, increase in the durable assets in their possession, improving quality of education to their children, improving health status and employment generation. There is significant difference between agripreneurs who have improved or rather gained their intangible benefits getting higher tangible benefits than the group of agripreneurs who could not improve the intangible benefits. As a result there is an improvement in investments by farmers, reduction in cost of cultivation, increased productivity, increased income and thereby savings. An econometric model formulated and estimated the impact of agripreneurs extension services on the income of the farmers demonstrate the same result