Assistance Program for Planting in Floriculture

What is the Assistance Program for Planting in Floriculture?

Assistance Program for Planting in Floriculture is a Gujarat horticulture scheme of the Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation Department, applied for on the i-Khedut portal. The scheme pays a per-hectare planting subsidy to farmers who put land under flower crops, with the rate rising according to how expensive the planting material is and falling according to whether the applicant is a small or marginal farmer or another farmer.

Floriculture is one of the higher-value options open to a Gujarat farmer, but it carries a large upfront cost. Bulbs, tubers and quality cuttings are bought before a single flower is sold, and the first harvest may be months away. The scheme is designed to absorb a share of that first-year planting cost so that the cash requirement does not keep farmers out of flower crops altogether.

How much assistance is given for each flower type?

Two things follow from this table. First, the category of the flower matters more than anything else. A tuberous crop attracts nearly four times the loose flower ceiling for the same farmer. Second, the small and marginal farmer classification is worth 60% more than the other-farmer rate at every level, so producing the certificate that establishes that status is the single most valuable piece of paperwork in the application.

Both figures in each cell are ceilings on a percentage, not flat grants. If 40% of the actual planting cost works out below the ceiling, the lower figure is paid.

Who is eligible for the floriculture planting subsidy?

You can apply if:

• You are a farmer cultivating land in Gujarat.
• You are engaged in floriculture farming; loose, cut or tuberous flowers.
• You have a bank account in your own name for the direct credit.
• You can produce a purchase bill for the planting material.

The scheme's target beneficiaries are listed as individuals, business entities and industries, so a farming enterprise is not automatically shut out. The operative test remains that the applicant is a farmer engaged in floriculture.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• You are not engaged in flower cultivation. Land under grain, pulses or other field crops is outside this component.
• You have no land record connecting you to the area claimed, since the subsidy is calculated per hectare planted.
• You are claiming the 40% small and marginal rate without the certificate that establishes that category — the claim is not rejected outright, but it is processed at the lower 25% rate.
• You have no purchase bill for the planting material, because the sanction reimburses actual expenditure.
• Your bank account is in another person's name.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the floriculture scheme on i-Khedut

1. Go to the i-Khedut portal at ikhedut.gujarat.gov.in and complete the one-time beneficiary registration if you are new to i-Khedut 2.0. The Aadhaar verification OTP reaches only the mobile number linked to Aadhaar, so check that linkage first.
2. On the home page, click Schemes, then Agricultural Schemes.
3. Select the floriculture planting component from the list and click Apply to open the application page.
4. Click Apply New and enter your personal details, survey number, flower type, area planted and bank account details, then submit the application.
5. Use Update Application to correct any entry before the form is locked.
6. Confirm the application. Only confirmed applications move into the scrutiny queue.
7. Take a printout of the confirmed application and submit it with the supporting documents to the concerned horticulture office.
8. Track the application later in the Applicant Corner at ikhedut.gujarat.gov.in/public/frm_Applicant_Corner.aspx, where you can also upload documents and reprint the form.

What is the i-Khedut beneficiary registration?

Since the move to i-Khedut 2.0, every beneficiary must complete a one-time registration on the portal before filing any scheme application. The portal's notice states that registration is compulsory for availing the benefit of a scheme, and that the Aadhaar verification OTP is sent only to the mobile number linked with Aadhaar. A separate company registration route exists for manufacturers and dealers, and i-Khedut publishes an applicant registration user manual for farmers doing it themselves.

Complete this step before the season rather than on the day the window opens. An Aadhaar-mobile mismatch is corrected at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, not on i-Khedut, and that correction can take longer than the application window stays live.

When can I apply?

i-Khedut opens component-wise windows rather than accepting applications all year, and the floriculture component is only live while its window is open. No permanent last date is published. The practical routine for a flower grower is to register on i-Khedut before the season, keep the 7/12 and 8-A extracts and the small or marginal farmer certificate ready, and check the portal when planning the planting so that the application and the purchase can be sequenced correctly.

How is the money paid?

Sanctioned assistance is credited directly to the beneficiary farmer's bank account. Because the benefit is a share of actual expenditure, the sequence is purchase and planting first, bill and claim next, credit last. A farmer who buys planting material without an application on record has no claim to attach the bill to, which is a common and avoidable loss.

Why floriculture applications get rejected

• Application not confirmed on i-Khedut before the window closed.
• Printed application and documents not submitted to the horticulture office.
• Flower category wrongly declared; claiming a tuberous rate for a loose flower crop is picked up during field verification.
• Area claimed does not match the land record or the area actually planted.
• No small or marginal farmer certificate, which quietly reduces the sanction from 40% to 25% rather than rejecting the claim.
• Bill missing or in another name, leaving no verifiable expenditure.
• Bank account mismatch or wrong IFSC, which causes the transfer to fail after sanction.

Where do I get help or file a grievance?

The Taluka or District Horticulture Officer handles scrutiny, field verification and sanction for this component and is the right first contact for a delayed or rejected application. The i-Khedut public contacts page at ikhedut.gujarat.gov.in/Public/frm_Public_Contacts.aspx lists office contacts by district, and the Gujarat state scheme directory at mariyojana.gujarat.gov.in carries the guideline entry for this scheme.

Applying on i-Khedut is free. No agent can charge for adding your name to the beneficiary list, and no officer will ask for the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.