September 2021

Agriculture business includes production, farming, management, and marketing of commodities like livestock, vegetables, grains, and fruits. It also comprises resource management, sales of agricultural produce, conservation, and ranching. Agriculture business can be classified as follows:

• Production resources, which include machinery, seeds, equipment, energy, and fertilizers.
• Agriculture commodities, such as processed or raw food and fiber items.
• Facilitative services like transportation, insurance, packaging, marketing, storage, processing, and credit.

Importance and benefits of agriculture business

Almost 60% to 70% of the Indian population is involved in agriculture and allied activities. Moreover, the agriculture sector employs over 52% of the total labor and contributes around 15% to the Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Agribusiness supplies food, as well as fodder, which is fed to livestock that in turn provides food to people. Several products like tea, spices, sugar, coffee, rice, and much more are exported from India, which provides an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs.

The agriculture business is also important for healthcare as several plants are used to manufacture different medicines. Moreover, it provides food security to the nation and helps prevent malnourishment.

How to finance an agriculture business

Before looking for financing options, you must prepare an agriculture business plan. You need to identify and conduct research on potential markets, as well as calculate the short-term and long-term viability of the business.

Agribusiness loans are offered by banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and cooperative societies. Often these are small and medium enterprise (SME) loans with a low rate of interest. The repayment tenure varies from one institution to another, and the amount can be repaid in monthly, bi-annual, or annual installments.

Generally, the loan can be used for buying livestock or cattle, managing daily operations, purchasing equipment, meeting warehousing and storage expenses, or other agribusiness-related purposes.

When you choose SME loan solutions from a reliable lender like Mahindra Finance, you can enjoy the following benefits.

• Flexible and convenient finance options
• Quick and hassle-free processing
• Minimal documentation
• Customized loan repayment schedule based on your financial situation
• Competitive SME loan interest rates

Although the exact documents may vary between lenders, some of the basic requirements include land ownership proof, identity proof, and address proof. You may also check your eligibility by visiting the lender’s website. The basic SME loan eligibility norms are as follows:

• You must be between 18 and 70 years old.
• The land should be used for agriculture purposes only.

To apply for a business loan and start your agribusiness quickly, visit the Mahindra Finance website today.

A Solo 401k plan is one of the best retirement options for entrepreneurs, freelancers, independent workers, and anyone who is self-employed. The plans address many of the concerns self-employed workers have and can provide an excellent option to these individuals for retirement planning.

If you are self-employed, read on to learn more about Solo 401k retirement plans and how to start one.

Why Should I Start a Solo 401k Retirement Plan?

There are tons of reasons why you should start a Solo 401k plan as a self-employed worker. But for our purposes, let’s detail the three most compelling reasons:

1. Loan Options. Without the backing of a large company, when things get difficult for you as a self-employed worker, there are very few options to which you can turn for help. Therefore, you have the option of taking out loans of as much as $50,000 or 50% of your plan’s value, if needed. Letting your money grow in your retirement fund is obviously the best option, but if you need to take out a loan, you can do so with a Solo 401k.
2. Roth Or Traditional Contributions. Whether you should structure your plan for Roth or Traditional contributions has long been debated. However, with a Solo 401k, the choice is up to you. If you would rather make pre-taxed traditional contributions and then pay taxes when you withdraw your money in retirement, you are able to do so. On the other hand, if you’d prefer to pay your taxes now and make Roth contributions, thereby making tax-free withdrawals in retirement, this option is also available to you with a Solo 401k.
3. Huge Contribution Limits. Saving the best benefit for last, a Solo 401k enables you to make the highest allowable contributions for self-employed individuals. In fact, you can contribute $19,500 as an employee and $37,500 as an employer. Because you are both your only employee and your only employer, you can make a total contribution of $57,000 a year to your Solo 401k plan.

How Do I Choose a Plan Provider?

It’s important to factor in a number of considerations when choosing your plan provider including:

• Fees Associated with Plan. If you can find a plan that does not impose any extra costs, you should strongly consider them for your Solo 401k provider.
• Intuitive Plan Set-Up. Setting up your plan shouldn’t be a laborious process where you need to do days’ worth of research. You should be able to call your provider, hear the available options, and be set up in short order.
• Customer Service Availability. Inevitably, you’re going to have questions pertaining to your plan. You’ll want to partner with a provider that is available to answer your questions, not one who will get back to you three weeks later.
• You’ll want to ensure that your plan offers everything that you’re looking for in terms of Roth and Traditional contributions, different investment options, etc.

Ready to start? Call a Solo 401k plan provider today to get started!