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HomePosts Tagged "Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare"
Agrotech, Climate, Digital Technologies, India, Opinions

By Rohit Lall, Joint Project Director, National Committee on Precision Agriculture and Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India

Climate change presents significant challenges to the agrifood sector, affecting producers’ incomes and food security. Recent climate-smart innovations in agrifood that enhance producers’ incomes while promoting sustainable solutions among farmers will make a big difference to the farming community. Precision agriculture, a key climate-smart innovation, employs advanced technologies and techniques to maximise resource efficiency and enhance crop yields. These technologies allow for targeted and efficient resource use, minimising waste and environmental impact. Let’s explore how precision farming will promote sustainability by reducing the ecological footprint of agricultural activities.

Agriculture remains the cornerstone of India’s economy, serving as the primary source of livelihood for nearly half of the country’s workforce. As such, advancements in agriculture directly impact the prosperity of a significant portion of the population, particularly those with lower incomes. However, the sector faces formidable challenges exacerbated by the effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and shifting seasons, which pose serious threats to agricultural productivity and farmer incomes. Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensuring the long-term sustainability and economic viability of the agrifood sector.

Moreover, India’s agricultural landscape exhibits considerable regional disparities, stemming from factors such as suboptimal input utilisation, limited access to modern technology, and stagnant technological innovation. Additionally, farmers often struggle to realise profitable prices for their produce due to inefficiencies in the agricultural marketing system, resulting in dwindling farm sizes and a decline in land cultivation, as farmers migrate in search of better job opportunities elsewhere. Because land leasing laws make it risky to lease land, increasingly, productive land is being left uncultivated. The dominance of paddy cultivation in Kharif and wheat in Rabi seasons further underscores the need for diversification toward high-value agricultural commodities such as fruits, vegetables, and animal products such as milk, poultry, fish and meat, driven by increasing incomes and urbanisation. Although per capita consumption of food grains has declined over the years, its total demand has been projected to increase due to the rise in population. To facilitate growth in productivity, it is important to ensure that farmers receive lucrative prices for their produce.

In response to these challenges, precision agriculture has emerged as a promising solution, with both central and state governments actively promoting its adoption. Notably, initiatives such as the centre’s flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) – Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) have significantly expanded micro irrigation coverage across the country, making notable strides on the global irrigation landscape. The robust participation of over 300 registered micro irrigation system suppliers registered under the PDMC scheme reflects the growing momentum toward precision agriculture adoption. Today over 15 mega hectares (mha) have been covered under micro irrigation across the country. Additionally, a conducive business environment has incentivised a greater number of Micro Irrigation Systems (MIS) suppliers to expand their manufacturing capacities, further propelling the growth of the sector.  Precision agriculture holds immense potential to enhance agricultural productivity, mitigate the impact of climate change, and improve farmer livelihoods. As India strives towards agricultural prosperity, continued support and investment in precision farming technologies will be pivotal in realising these goals.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumasia.com/e-magazine

By Rohit Lall, Joint Project Director, National

Agrotech, Farm Mechanisation, Interaction, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Machinery – Post-harvesting

A four-day event to provide platform for B2B, B2Gand B2C meeting, facilitating valuable networking opportunities for business and consumers, fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange.

The eighth edition of EIMA Agrimach India 2024, the international agricultural machinery exhibition organised by FICCI in collaboration with FederUnacoma, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, opened in Bangalore at the GKVK University of Agricultural Sciences.

EIMA Agrimach India 2024 will showcase live demonstrations of innovative equipment, demonstrating their efficiency and effectiveness. The event will provide platform for B2B, B2Gand B2C meeting, facilitating valuable networking opportunities for business and consumers, fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange. The event will also host Kisan Training lectures to empower farmers with the knowledge and skills to adopt new technologies and practices.

The exhibition – which held its first five editions in New Delhi and from 2022 has been moved to Bangalore in Karnataka, to meet the technological needs of a region of the Subcontinent whose agriculture is largely centred on fruit and vegetable production – will be on stage until Sunday 3 March with the display of models in the covered halls and demonstration trials in the outdoor areas of the exhibition centre. An important event, that of EIMA Agrimach, which was underlined by the solemnity of the inaugural ceremony that saw, in front of the large audience of the congress hall of the exhibition centre, the presence of the highest representatives of the organising bodies and the industries of the sector.

In his greeting to the audience, the FICCI Karnataka State Council Chairman Ullas Kamath recalled the vigorous economic growth of Indian economy and underlined the significant improvements of India’s primary sector. The exhibition – this emerged from the speeches by representatives of FICCI Manish Singhal, of SBI V. N. Sarma and of PWC Guna Nand Shukla – confirms itself not only as a promotional and commercial event aimed at economic operators, farmers and agri-mechanics technicians, but also as an opportunity to analyse trends in agriculture and to highlight the great challenges facing the primary sector in India and in all major regions of the world. In this regard, the Italian consulate in Bangalore Alfonso Tagliaferri underlined the importance of the commercial and technical partnership between Italy and India, especially in the field of agricultural mechanics and in that of high technology agricultural machines.

Mariateresa Maschio, President of FederUnacoma, the Federation of Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, which has been an organising partner with FICCI of the Indian exhibition since the first edition in 2009, focused on the main topics of EIMA Agrimach 2024.

“The issues that will be covered during the four-day event, which concern the sustainability of agricultural production, new technological and digital frontiers, training of technicians, but also the use of water resources, soil fertility and all the salient issues for the agricultural sector. With its companies, its institutions, and its university and research system. India presents itself as an immense laboratory for a new model of agriculture, one that meets the needs of the present, and guarantees the right resources for the future”, said Mariateresa Maschio.

A four-day event to provide platform for

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Digital Technologies

A Tripartite MoU signed between the National Farmers’ Welfare Programme Implementation Society, IndiaAI and Wadhwani Foundation

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for the benefit of farmers and to increase overall productivity. As a pioneering force in the integration of AI, the Ministry is setting a precedent for leveraging advanced technologies to address the challenges faced by the farmers in India. It is championing the India Digital Ecosystem Architecture (InDEA) 2.0’s network approach, designed by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India.

A significant milestone in this journey is the development of ‘Kisan e-Mitra,’ an AI-powered chatbot addressing farmers’ queries about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This comprehensive solution, available in Hindi, Tamil, Odia, Bangla, and English, is evolving to support other government programs and has been accessed by more than 21 lakh farmers within 2 months.

Additionally, the Ministry is developing a National Pest Surveillance System in collaboration with the private sector. AI and Machine Learning (ML) models detect crop issues, offering timely information to farmers for swift action. This initiative is expected to result in healthier crops, potentially boosting yields and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Farmers’ Welfare Programme Implementation Society, IndiaAI under Digital India Corporation, and Wadhwani Foundation. The MoU was signed in the presence of Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Dr. P.K. Meherda, Additional Secretary, Ruchika Gupta, Advisor(Digital), Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary(Extn.), Muktanand Agrawal, Director (Digital), other senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Electronics & IT and Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Institute of Technology and Policy.

Per the MoU, the Wadhwani Foundation will provide critical support in formulating and executing an AI strategy. The Foundation commits to assisting the Ministry in establishing India as a global leader in AI-driven digital agriculture transformation, aligning with MeitY’s National Plan for AI. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in India’s agricultural landscape, where the Ministry has institutionalised the use of AI in transforming digital agriculture through the creation of an AI cell within the Ministry.

A Tripartite MoU signed between the National

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, R&D, Sustainability

The project focuses on leveraging sample hyperspectral data from Pixxel’s pathfinder satellites to develop analytics models focused on the crop mapping

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare signed an MOU with Pixxel Space India Pvt. Limited in the presence of the Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary, DA&FW and other senior officers of the Ministry at New Delhi. C. S. Murthy, Director, MNCFC signed the MOU on behalf of the Government of India, whereas Abhishek Krishnan, Chief of Staff represented M/s Pixxel Space India Pvt. Limited. It aims to develop various geospatial solutions on a pro bono basis for the Indian Agriculture Ecosystem using Pixxel’s hyperspectral dataset. The project focuses on leveraging sample hyperspectral data from Pixxel’s pathfinder satellites to develop analytics models focused on crop mapping, crop stage discrimination, crop health monitoring, and soil organic carbon assessments. This will enable the Government to develop use cases with hyperspectral data provided by PIXXEL. MNCFC on behalf of the DA&FW will associate with the Pixel team for developing and implementing the suitable methodologies.

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology includes spectral measurements in narrow wavelength bands by satellites and such measurements offer certain unique indices to monitor and assess the health of crops and soils. This is an emerging technology with unique capabilities for monitoring agriculture. Crop health monitoring by detecting the changes in chlorophyll content and canopy moisture status, using hyperspectral data would be beneficial to find crop risk management solutions for farmers.

Soil nutrient mapping including soil organic carbon assessments is one of the important applications of hyperspectral technology. The soil reflectance observations measured by the sensors offer more direct, cost-effective datasets to estimate soil organic carbon. This will also help to develop the early detection of crop stress and accurate diagnostics of crop stress due to pest/disease or water using hyperspectral data offering numerous opportunities to strengthen the current advisory system of the Government benefiting millions of farmers.

Secretary, DA&FW expressed that such types of collaboration with young startup companies will go a long way for developing innovative geospatial solutions using advanced satellite imaging technology. The new technology will reduce dependence on manual surveys and measurements which are time-consuming and prone to errors.

The project focuses on leveraging sample hyperspectral

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Oilseeds, Pulses

The production of wheat and rice is estimated to increase by 5 and 6 metric tonnes respectively

The food grain production of India in 2023 is estimated to reach a record 330.5 million tonnes from 315.6 MT with a record production of wheat, rice, maize, oilseeds and sugarcane, according to the third advance estimate of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

The production of wheat during 2023 is estimated at 112.7 metric tonnes, up by 5 metric tonnes from a year ago. The production of rice is estimated at 135.5 metric tonnes which is increased by 6 metric tonnes as compared to the previous year. 

The production of maize during 2023 is estimated at 35.9 metric tonnes, which is up by 2.1 metric tonnes from the previous year.

The production of nutri and coarse cereals is estimated at 54.7 metric tonnes, 3.6 metric tonnes higher than the previous year’s production. Production of sugarcane is estimated at 494.2 metric tonnes, 54.8 metric tonnes higher than the previous year. Production of pulses is estimated at 27.5 metric tonnes in 2023.  

The production of soybean and mustard is estimated at 14.9 metric tonnes and 12.4 metric tonnes respectively, which is increased by 1.9 metric tonnes and 0.5 metric tonnes respectively than the last year’s production. The oilseeds production of India during 2023 is estimated at 40.9 metric tonnes. Cotton production is estimated at 34.3 million bales (170 kg each).

The production of wheat and rice is

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, India, IT, Seeds

SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system, identify the source of seed in the seed production chain.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App, a Centralized Online System for seed traceability, authentication and inventory designed to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification. It has been developed by the NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the theme of ‘Uttam Beej – Samriddh Kisan’.

SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system, identify the source of seed in the seed production chain. The system will consist of integrated 7 verticals of the seed chain – Research Organisation, Seed Certification, Seed Licensing, Seed Catalogue, Dealer to Farmer Sales, Farmer Registration and Seed DBT. Seeds with valid certification can only be sold by valid licensed dealers to centrally registered farmers who will receive subsidy through DBT directly into their pre-validated bank accounts.

 On this occasion, Tomar said that the Government of India is constantly trying to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced by Agriculture sector through various schemes and programmes. SATHI portal is an important step in this direction. When its use starts right to the grassroot level, it will prove to be a revolutionary step in the field of agriculture.

Tomar said that the first phase of SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic) portal has just been launched. He directed the officials to ensure that the second phase does not take long. Efforts should be made to increase awareness so that the farmers get full benefit from it. There will be a QR code under this system, through which the seeds can be traced. Training should be imparted through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Governments. He urged all the states to join the Seed Traceability System.

SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system,

AgroPolicy, Animal Health, India, Live Stock

Vaccine is made by National Equine Research Center in collaboration with Indian Veterinary Research Institute.

Providing a big relief to the livestock of the country, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, has launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVacInd to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin disease. The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly).

Describing this vaccine as a milestone for eradicating the Lumpy disease, Tomar said that livestock, along with human resource, is the biggest asset of our country, which we have a big responsibility to preserve and prosper.

Tomar said that yet another new dimension has been set by developing this vaccine under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He congratulated the scientists of the Equine Research Center and the Veterinary Research Institute for developing the Lumpi disease vaccine. Ever since the disease came to India in 2019, research institutes have been engaged in developing the vaccine.

Tomar directed the concerned officials to provide this vaccine in large numbers at the earliest for relief to the cattle. He said that there are thirty crore livestock in the country, considering the plight of mute animals, all possible measures should be taken to provide them relief at the earliest.

Vaccine is made by National Equine Research

AgroPolicy, India

For the first time, data collection for agricultural computations will be done on smart phones and tablets.

The Eleventh Agricultural Census (2021-22) was launched in the country by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar. Speaking on the occasion, Tomar said that this computation will bring huge benefits in a vast and agricultural country like India. Tomar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasis is being given on increasing farmers income. Besides there is a need to change their standard of living, organize small farmers in order to empower them, attract them towards remunerative crops and ensure the quality of the produce at par with global standards.

On the occasion, Tomar released the Handbook on Operational Guidelines for Census for the use of States/UTs, and launched the Data Collection Portal/App.

Agriculture Census is conducted every 5 years, which is being undertaken now after delay due to corona pandemic. The field work of agricultural census will start in August 2022. Agricultural Census is the main source of information on a variety of agricultural parameters at a relatively minute level, such as the number and area of operational holdings, their size, class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy and cropping pattern, etc. This is the first time that data collection for agricultural census will be conducted on smart phones and tablets, so that data is available in time. Most of the States have digitized their land records and surveys, which will further accelerate the collection of agricultural census data. The use of digitized land records and the use of mobile apps for data collection will enable the creation of a database of operational holdings in the country.

For the first time, data collection for

AgroPolicy, Finance, Schemes - Govt

The grant will benefit about 3.5 lakh farmers leading to the goal of setting up of 10,000 FPOs.

 The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar released an equity grant of more than Rs 37 crore to 1,018 FPOs under the CSS which will benefit about 3.5 lakh farmers leading to the goal of setting up of 10 thousand FPOs. The Producer Members’ equity, supplemented by a similar equity grant from the Central Government, would strengthen the financial base of the FPOs and help them to avail loans from financial institutions for their projects and working capital requirements for business development. Under the scheme, up to Rs. 18 lakh financial aid per FPO will be provided for a period of 3 years. In addition, a loan of Rs. 2,000 for each farmer member of the FPO within a limit of Rs.15 lakh per FPO will be available. There is also a provision of project loan or equivalent grant from any eligible lending institution of up to Rs.2 crore per FPO.

Besides Tomar, the dignitaries present included the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje and Kailash Choudhary, Agriculture Minister of Karnataka, BC Patil, State Ministers, Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja and other senior officers.

Coffee Table Book on e-NAM

The Coffee Table Book released by the Agriculture minister showcases the endeavor and journey of e-NAM in bringing transparency and efficiency in the trade of agricultural products in the country through innovation and technology. Coffee Table Book on e-NAM focuses on showcasing the benefits and success of farmers and stakeholders by facilitating digitization of APMC mandis.

The grant will benefit about 3.5 lakh

AgroPolicy

The objective of this conclave was to give thrust to increase the area, production and productivity, marketing, branding of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) and also to enhance the farmer’s income

Under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, National Conclave on Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) has been organised on July 7, 2022. The objective of this conclave was to give thrust to increase the area, production and productivity, marketing, branding of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) and also to enhance the farmer’s income. A Technical Session was also conducted to address the issues related to planting material, cultivation practices, post-harvest & marketing and research on Kamlam (Dragon Fruit). Progressive farmers of States namely Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat and Nagaland shared their experiences during the workshop.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI as Chief Guest shared his views and highlighted that there is need to promote and develop a plan for increasing the area of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) as the fruit is having specific nutritional value and global demand.

He suggested to prepare an Annual Action Plan (AAP) of 5 years in consultation with States to promote overall development in respect to cultivation, post-harvest management, marketing processing and Value addition.

Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, mentioned in his speech that there should be potential market of this fruit so that growers can develop their own branding. There is also need to develop a 5-year strategy to increase the area of Kamlam upto 50,000 ha.

The objective of this conclave was to

AgroPolicy, Finance

UNDP will provide responsive, demand-driven technical assistance for effective implementation of agriculture credit and crop insurance

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) wherein UNDP will provide technical support for Centre’s aspirational Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme & Kisan Credit Card – Modified Interest Subvention Scheme.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar by CEO-PMFBY Ritesh Chauhan and UNDP Resident Representative Shoko Noda. Under the MoU, UNDP will leverage its expertise in systems and global know-how for supporting the Ministry of Agriculture in the implementation of combined agriculture credit and crop insurance. Union Minister of Agriculture for State Kailash Chaudhary and Secretary, Agriculture, Manoj Ahuja also witnessed the signing ceremony.

As per the MoU, UNDP will provide responsive, demand-driven technical assistance for effective implementation of agriculture credit and crop insurance, as well as providing capacity development and Information, Education & Communication (IEC) support to existing national and state institutions, keeping in mind the interest of small and marginal farmers, women farmers, sharecroppers, tenant and non-loanee farmers.

On this strategic partnership with UNDP, Tomar said, “Technical assistance provided by UNDP in the last four years has yielded good results. I am sure that through this partnership, we will obtain even better results in the implementation of crop insurance and agricultural credit schemes.”

UNDP will provide responsive, demand-driven technical assistance

AgroPolicy

This centre is a moving replica of Sustainable Farming & Rural entrepreneurship centre situated at The Eco Factory Foundation (TEFF)

A mobile knowledge centre, ‘Shashwat Bharat Krushi Rath’ has been launched in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The mobile centre is conceptualised to inform farmers about globally acclaimed sustainable, natural, chemical-free farming methods, holistic development of soil, appropriate market linkages, post-harvest technologies, Government schemes, and policies related to agriculture and allied businesses/start-ups.

The mobile centre was inaugurated by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, on February 13, 2020 in Gwalior.

This centre is a moving replica of Sustainable Farming & Rural entrepreneurship centre situated near Pune at The Eco Factory Foundation (TEFF), a Maharashtra-based non-profit organisation.

This centre is a moving replica of