AGR-3 (Farm Mechanization) Scheme for ST Farmers

What is the AGR-3 scheme for ST farmers?

AGR-3 (Farm Mechanization) Scheme for ST Farmers is a Gujarat state scheme run by the Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare & Co-operation, Government of Gujarat. AGR-3 provides Scheduled Tribe farmers with subsidised farm equipment and crop inputs so they can adopt scientifically recommended practices, raise yields and improve household income.

According to the government's scheme description, AGR-3 targets two overlapping groups: farmers belonging to the Scheduled Tribe category, and tribal cultivators who live outside the notified tribal areas. Distribution of high-yielding and hybrid variety seeds and fertiliser at subsidised rates to Adivasi farmers in Tribal Area Sub Plan (TASP) areas is a core part of the scheme. AGR-3 is 100% sponsored by the state government.

AGR-3 exists because Gujarat's mechanisation support is split by geography and category. The centrally sponsored Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) runs in part of the state; AGR-3 covers Scheduled Tribe farmers in the 208 talukas where SMAM is not implemented, so that no tribal farmer falls between the two schemes. Its counterpart for Scheduled Caste farmers is AGR-4.

What benefits does AGR-3 give?

AGR-3 does not have one flat cash amount. It is a basket of components, each with its own assistance rate fixed by the Agriculture Department for the year. The published component list covers:

• Plant protection equipment: sprayers and related machinery.
• Tarpaulin for threshing floors and produce protection.
• Water-carrying pipeline to move irrigation water to the field.
• Pump set for lifting irrigation water.
• Micronutrients and organic fertiliser.
• 100% water-soluble fertilisers and pesticides.
• Premium support for the farmers' accident insurance scheme.
• Field demonstrations and participation in agriculture fairs.
• Subsidised high-yielding and hybrid seeds and fertiliser in TASP areas.

Because rates differ by component and are revised each financial year, the reliable place to read the exact assistance for a given item is the AGR-3 component page on the iKhedut portal in the year you apply. Assistance is credited through Direct Benefit Transfer to the beneficiary's bank account after purchase and verification.

Who is eligible for AGR-3, and who is not eligible?

You can get AGR-3 assistance if:

• You are a permanent resident of Gujarat.
• You are a farmer belonging to the Scheduled Tribe category, holding a caste certificate from the competent authority.
• Your taluka is one of the 208 talukas where the SMAM scheme is not implemented, or your block or district is covered under the Agriculture Support Programme in Tribal Area Sub Plan and Dispersed Tribes (TASP).
• You buy the equipment from an authorised dealer of a manufacturer on the empanelment list prepared by the agriculture office through its periodic price-discovery process.
• You apply on iKhedut while the component is open and confirm the application.

You are not eligible if:

• You do not belong to the Scheduled Tribe category. General and OBC farmers cannot apply under AGR-3; Scheduled Caste farmers should use AGR-4.
• You cannot produce a Scheduled Tribe certificate from the competent authority.
• Your taluka is covered by SMAM, in which case the central scheme applies instead.
• You bought the equipment before receiving the pre-approval order.
• You bought from a dealer who is not the authorised dealer of an empanelled manufacturer.
• Your application was saved on iKhedut but never confirmed.

How to apply for AGR-3 on iKhedut

1. Go to the iKhedut portal at https://ikhedut.gujarat.gov.in/ and open the public scheme details page, then click "Click here for details" in the Farming Schemes section.
2. Select the AGR-3 component you want. The Apply button appears automatically only on components that are currently accepting applications.
3. Read the instructions, answer "Are you a registered applicant?" with Yes or No, and click "Click to proceed".
4. Click "Click to Apply Newly" and complete the form: personal details, Scheduled Tribe caste certificate details, land details, the component requested and your bank account.
5. Use "Click to Update Application" to correct anything. This option stops working once the application is confirmed.
6. Click "Click to confirm the application" and confirm it. Only confirmed applications are considered on iKhedut.
7. Print the confirmed application, sign it and keep a copy. The print option is available only after confirmation.
8. Submit the signed printout with all documents to the District Agriculture Officer of your district, whose contact details are on the iKhedut contacts page.
9. Purchase only after the pre-approval order is issued, within the time limit it specifies, and then file the assistance proposal with the invoice and every supporting document listed in that order.

What documents are needed for AGR-3?

The AGR-3 document list is a government-approved photo ID (Aadhaar card or Voter ID card), evidence of land where applicable, a caste certificate from the competent authority, a disability certificate from the competent authority where relevant, a ration card where applicable, bank account details, and the beneficiary's undertaking or consent form.

The caste certificate is the document that decides whether the application belongs under AGR-3 at all, so it must be current and issued by the competent authority, a school record showing caste is not a substitute. The bank account must be in the applicant's own name because assistance is paid by DBT.

How do I check my AGR-3 application status?

Use the application-status option on the public side of the iKhedut portal with the application number on your confirmed printout. For anything the portal does not show — file movement, pre-approval, inspection. The District Agriculture Officer of your district is the officer to contact; iKhedut publishes a district-wise contacts page for exactly this purpose. Once assistance is sanctioned, the credit appears in the bank account you gave in the application.

Why do AGR-3 applications get rejected?

• Application not confirmed. Saving is not applying; confirm before the window closes.
• Caste certificate missing, expired or issued by the wrong authority. This is the most frequent documentary rejection in a category-specific scheme.
• Taluka covered by SMAM. AGR-3 does not run where the central scheme operates.
• Purchase before pre-approval, or purchase after the pre-approval time limit expired.
• Non-empanelled manufacturer or unauthorised dealer.
• Wrong or incomplete uploads; curable, but only if you deliver the correct documents to the concerned office within seven days.
• Bank account name mismatch, which causes DBT failure even after sanction.

What are the key dates and the grievance route?

AGR-3 components open for defined periods within each financial year rather than all year round; the iKhedut note states that the online application must be submitted "during the prescribed time". Watch the iKhedut home page around the start of the kharif and rabi seasons, when Gujarat typically opens agriculture components, and note that different components can open on different dates.

For a grievance, start with the District Agriculture Officer of your district, taking the confirmed application printout and the office acknowledgement. Above that, the Director of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare & Co-operation, Government of Gujarat is the administrative authority for the scheme. In TASP blocks, the district's tribal development machinery can also be approached where the issue concerns coverage of a tribal area rather than the merits of the individual file.