Subsidy Programs For Micro Irrigation
If you are a farmer and are looking for subsidies to better your farm, then you need to know the following:
The PMKSY micro-irrigation subsidy, or the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, is a subsidy provided to farmers who want to install a micro-irrigation, either drip or sprinkler, system on their fields but do not have the means to purchase one. The subsidy is available to any who may have a small field, are mid-level farmers, are from marginalized communities, and are women farmers.
The subsidy will cover up upto 90% of the purchase price for a drip irrigation system and up to 75% of the purchase price for a micro or mini sprinkler system. This does not include installation costs, and the number may vary depending on the state
This subsidy is available in every state and union territory in India but is fully active in only 12-15 states, with coverage usually provided by the state and central governments.
What Does The Subsidy Cover
The subsidy provides a percentage of the purchase cost for a drip irrigation or a sprinkler system. This number may reach 55% for small and marginalised farmers and may be 45% for other farmers. The subsidy is released in three installments, with the final installment issued after the installation has been verified.
This drip irrigation subsidy can be applied for through official channels and requires submission of certain documents, including proof of land ownership and identification.
Eligibility For The Subsidy
- Ownership: The farmer has to own the land, or show official documents proving their lease. The land must be agricultural.
- System: To install a drip irrigation system, a farmer must have a water source within their land, such as a well, a pond or a tube well. Only BIS-marked systems, such as those provided by Netafim, are approved for drip irrigation installation.
- Target: This subsidy is most targeted towards small and marginalised communities, such as those from the ST or SC, and women farmers. They are prioritized over other kinds of applicants for this subsidy. But other farmers can avail of the subsidy as well, so long as their land area does not exceed 5 hectares (12 acres).
- Previous: People who have already received these subsidies before cannot get consecutive subsidies. This is not applicable to people who purchased a sprinkler with this subsidy 10 years ago or a drip irrigation system 8 years ago.
Application Process
- Registration: They then need to register at the official state agriculture department portal or state-specific websites.
- Documentation: Then the filled-in application has to be submitted with the required documents to the agriculture office from which the forms were collected. The documents are -
(i) Aadhar card, for the Direct Benefit Transfer of funds.
(ii) Proof of Land Ownership or Records, Land registry, and 7/12 extract applicable.
(iii) Bank Account Details, as in a bank passbook.
(iv) Caste Certificate, if applicable.
(v) Passport Sized Photographs, as many as required.
- Verification: An on-site technical survey is carried out by officials from either the office of the District Agriculture Officer or the District Technical Support Group. They will verify that all the particulars provided are accurate and check the copies of the additional documents against the originals.
- Approval/Installation: After the application is approved, the farmer will be able to purchase the drip irrigation system from authorised firms such as Netafim and have it installed. Final verification will release the remaining subsidy amount.
How Netafim Offers Help
This drip irrigation subsidy might be difficult for people who are not well-versed in how the system works, and that is where Netafim comes in.
- Netafim helps farmers by teaching them how to properly complete their applications
- explaining the scheme in its entirety, and
- forwarding the completed applications to the appropriate officials
The Subsidy Allocation
Once all the documents have been submitted and all the applications have been completed and filed, a farmer can receive the drip irrigation subsidy they have been waiting for, buy the system they want, and set it up on their parcel of land.