New Delhi, Oct. 26 -- The government has approved the continuation of its flagship Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme beyond September 30, 2026, extending its operational timeline until March 31, 2027. This would bolster agricultural infrastructure and improve access to financing for projects across the farm sector, according to two people aware of the development. The extension is expected to give further fillip to investments in post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets, helping improve storage, processing and supply-chain efficiency. This assumes significance given that India loses agricultural produce worth Rs.1.53 lakh crore each year due to post-harvest inefficiency. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme provides financing support for post-harvest infrastructure such as cold storages, warehouses and grading units through interest subvention and credit guarantee benefits. By facilitating the creation of such facilities closer to farms, the government aims to reduce crop wastage and help farmers store their produce until they can sell it at better prices. According to government data reviewed by Mint, as of October 25, lending institutions have sanctioned about Rs.1.03 lakh crore under the fund for 228,428 projects across India since inception. Since its launch in 2020-21, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund scheme mobilised more than Rs.1.75 lakh crore for the agriculture sector. According to the data, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat are among the top five beneficiaries of the fund. "The extension ensures continued support for strengthening agricultural infrastructure and enhancing post-harvest management across the country," said Puneet Singh Thind, founder and director, Northern Farmers Mega FPO, a federation of farmer-producer organizations from five North Indian states. Queries emailed to the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare on October 23 remained unanswered till press time. Among beneficiaries, projects by farmers top the approved proposals with around 55% share, followed by agri-entrepreneurs at 32%, primary agriculture cooperative societies at 3.1%, and startups constituting 1.3%. According to data as of October 25, primary processing centres, warehouses and cold-chain infrastructure emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of lending under the AIF scheme, highlighting a growing focus on strengthening India's post-harvest agricultural infrastructure. Of loans sanctioned under the scheme, Rs.25,119.5 crore has been granted for primary processing centres, followed by Rs.18,064 crore for warehouses and Rs.11,718 crore for cold stores and cold-chain infrastructure, per government data. Another Rs.9,556 crore has been sanctioned for farm and harvest automation, while Rs.8,463 crore has gone towards custom hiring centres....