Government Orders of Interest to Citizens

ABSTRACT

Agriculture - Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium - Constitution of State Level Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium for Tamilnadu as an affiliate to National Level Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium - Permission for formation of Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium and to contribute Rs.50,00,000/- (Rupees Fifty lakhs only) as equity participation with National Level Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium - Orders issued.

AGRICULTURE (AM3) DEPARTMENT

G.O.(Ms).No.149. 
Dated: 24.04.2003.

Read:

1. 1. From the Managing Director, Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium, New Delhi, D.O.Letter No.SFAC/4-16/SS-99/8247, dated 1.8.2002.
2. 2.    From the Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business Letter No.MCS4/19351/2002, dated 5.12.2002.

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ORDER :

The Managing Director, Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium, New Delhi in his letter first read above has stated that at National Level, Government of India formed National Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium in 1994 to function as a facilitating agency to promote agri-business activities on the principles of economic efficiency, environmental soundness and social equity, to enable the country to begin a new chapter in its agricultural history where farm enterprises yield not only more food, but more productive jobs and higher income in rural areas.   In the above context, the National Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium has been declared as Financial Institutions under section 17 (8A) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.  It has diverse membership from Government of India, Banks, Financial Institutions, Statutory and Autonomous Organisations, Development Boards, Export Promotion Councils and commodity Boards dealing in Agricultural and Agro Industrial Private Companies, Co-operatives, Exporters, NGOs, Farmers Organisation working in rural areas and beneficiaries including individual farmers.  The Managing Director, Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium has also reported that National Level Consortium envisages formation of State Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium in the States.  So far 14 States have formed their Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium.  The Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium has therefore, requested this Government to consider constitution of a State Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium in Tamil Nadu under the chairmanship of Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, as a Counterpart Institution to National Level Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium at New Delhi, as already been done in 14 other States with same or similar aims and objectives.  The Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium is also giving Rs.50/- lakhs as corpus amount to the State Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium.

2.  Accordingly the Commissioner of Agricultural marketing and Agri Business in his letter second read above has sent proposal for the formation of Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri  Business Consortium in line with the Government of India's Policy. The Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business has also reported that, the Tamil Nadu unit of Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium is proposed to be constituted in the name and style as Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium with the Board of Management under the chairmanship of the Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Department of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu.  He has proposed to register the consortium under Societies Registration Act, 1975 and to be located at the office of the Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business. Guindy, Chennai-32. The Society will function as a facilitating agency to promote agri business activity in Tamil Nadu.  The Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business has also reported that the total corpus funds of the new entity will be Rs.100 lakhs equally shared between State Government and National Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium and the State Government's contribution of Rs.50 lakhs will be met from Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board Fund.  The Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business has also sent the bye-laws and Memorandum of Association with the organisation structure.

3.The Commissioner of Agriculture Marketing & Agri Business has therefore, requested the Government to accord necessary approval for the formation of the Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium in line with the Government of India's policy with a contribution of Rs.50/- lakhs as equity participation to take up the registration and commencing of functioning with skeleton staff initially.  After approval of the Government the Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business has proposed to approach the National Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium to release Rs.50/- lakhs for balance 50% equity as was done in respect of other States.

4. The Government, after careful consideration accept the proposal of the Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business and they accordingly direct that,

1. i.  The Tamil Nadu Unit of Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium be constituted under the chairmanship of Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Agriculture Department, Government of Tamil Nadu and Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business as its Managing Director with the Corpus Fund of Rs.100/- lakhs (Rupees One Hundred Lakhs only) in the name and style "Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium".
2. ii.  It shall be registered under Societies Registration Act, 1975, and located at the Office of the Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business, Chennai-32. Approval of Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulation will be issued separately.
3. iii. Out of the total corpus fund of Rs.100/- lakhs for the new entity, equally shared by the State Government and National Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium, the State's contribution of Rs.50/- lakhs shall be met from the Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board Funds.
4. iv.  The aim and objectives of Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium shall be as shown in the Annexure to this order.

5. The Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business is requested to take necessary action immediately for the constitution of the Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium in line with the Government of India policy and to take up registration and commence functioning with skeleton staff initially. The Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business  is also requested to take immediate steps for the release of 50% equity share from the Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium, New Delhi immediately.

6. This order issues with the concurrence of Finance Department, vide its U.O.No.3264 / Agri / 03, dated 29.1.2003.

(BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR)

T.S. SRIDHAR
AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

To

The Commissioner of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business, Chennai-32.

The Commissioner of Agriculture, Chennai-5.

The Chief Executive Officer, Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board, Chennai-32.

The Director of Horticulture & Plantation Crops, Chennai-5.

The Chief Engineer (Agricultural Engineering), Chennai-35.

The Director of Seed Certification, Coimbatore-13.

The Registrar, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-3.

The Director of Industries and Commerce, Chennai-5.

The Managing Director, Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium, New Delhi.

The General Manager, National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development, No.48 (Old No.105/106), Mahatma Gandhi Road, Post Box No.6074, Chennai - 600 034.

The Secretary to Government, Finance Department, Chennai-9.

The Secretary to Government, Planning & Development Department, Chennai-9.

The Secretary to Government, Industries Department, Chennai-9.

The Secretary to Government, Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, Chennai-9.

All District Collectors.

The Director of Local Fund Audit, Chennai - 108.

The Director of Coconut Development Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, Kera Bhavan, SRVHS Road, Kochi - 682 011.

The Director of National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. 85, Institutional Area Sector-18, Gurgaon-122 015.

The Director, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, 3rd Floor, NCUI Building, No.3, Siri Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg (Opp. Asiad Village), New Delhi - 110 016.

The Deputy Director, Coconut Development Board, Regional Office, AF-6/2204, 7th Street, 11th Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai - 600 040.

Copy to:-

The Secretary to Chief Minister, Chennai-9.

The Special P.A. to Minister (Agriculture), Chennai-9.

The Private Secretary to Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Agriculture Department, Chennai-9.

The Agriculture (AM.I/AM.II/H1/H2/OP.3) Department, Chennai-9.

/Forwarded/By Order/

SECTION OFFICER.

ANNEXURE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF TAMIL NADU SMALL FARMERS' AGRI BUSINESS CONSORTIUM :-

1. 1. To catalyse agro industrial growth in different parts of the States on the principles of ecological sustainability, economic efficiency and social equity in Tamilnadu.
2. 2. To undertake or assist in undertaking programmes for employment generation, growth and diversification of agriculture and agro based industries to increase food production and export of agriculture products, in both primary and processed forms.
3. 3. To organize technology transfer through training and extension involving non-government organisations and farmers' associations.
4. 4. To sponsor specific and relevant research projects and technology demonstrations.
5. 5. To organise input, material supply and production services through public, private and cooperative sector.
6. 6. To identify and promote post harvest processing, manufacturing units in the public, private and co-operative sectors.
7. 7. To promote organisation to marketing chains both for domestic and export marketing.
8. 8.  To build a cadre of skilled Managers for managing the affairs of various units being established as a part of the development process, and to assist the establishment of such units by providing equity in the form of venture capital, and also interest bearing loans to such units, if sufficient corpus is made available for these purposes by the promoters of the society.
9. 9. To encourage efficient use of marginal lands and augmentation of bio-mass production through agro and farm-forestry.
10. 10. To revive and strengthen local institutions of the farming community as instruments of de-centralisation/development process in agriculture sector.
11. 11. To organise/catalyse the primary producers in suitable groups towards the performance of activities related to the achievement of the objectives of the consortium.
12. 12.  To influence government policies for correcting the terms of trade to make them favourable for agriculture, thereby increasing the flow of resources and augmenting the rate of capital formation n agriculture sector.
13. 13.  To pave the way for establishment of integrated producers' organisation with forward and backward linkages.
14. 14. To prepare, print and publish papers, periodicals, monographs for the furtherance of the objectives of the society.

T.S. SRIDHAR
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

/TRUE COPY/

   SECTION OFFICER.

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