New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) India has 5,726 agri clinics and agri business centres to promote self-employment among farmers, Minister of State for Agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria said here Monday. The Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Scheme (ACABS) was first launched in 2001 in Bulsar district in Gujarat in pursuance of the national agriculture policy presented by then agriculture minister Nitish Kumar for providing agri services to farmers and employment to agricultural graduates and post graduates.

“Since inception, 5,726 agri-clinics and agri-business centres have been opened in the country up to October 9 this year,” the minister told the Lok Sabha.

The state-wise break-up of ACABS is: Andhra Pradesh (281), Arunachal Pradesh (1), Assam (48), Bihar (670), Chhattisgarh (63), Goa (1), Gujarat (158), Haryana (36), Himachal Pradesh (65), Jammu and Kashmir (42), Jharkhand (24), Karnataka (687), Kerala (15), Madhya Pradesh (137), Maharashtra (1,030), Manipur (43), Nagaland (03), Orissa (74), Pondicherry (5), Punjab (37), Rajasthan (605), Tamil Nadu (330), Uttar Pradesh (1,270), Uttaranchal (49) and West Bengal (52).

Bhuria said the main objectives of opening these clinics and centres was to provide extension and other services to farmers on payment basis, to support agriculture development and promote self-employment.

In the current fiscal, 535 new such clinics and centres were established until Oct 9.

The minister said more steps were being taken to set up more ACABS during 2008-09, for which continuous training of agriculture graduates subject to their availability is being provided.