Centre to soon launch one-stop agri data infrastructure
The govt will shortly make a widespread facts infrastructure of all farmers in the nation, gleaning facts gathered for a variety of schemes these types of as PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), PM-Kisan and soil overall health playing cards, and integrating them with land documents, mentioned Ashish Bhutani, Joint Secretary at the Agriculture Ministry, on Thursday.
“This will act as a 1-stop shop for facts, which includes obtain to finance by farmers, get started-ups and scientists for developing new apps, so that the positive aspects get to the grass roots,” Bhutani mentioned whilst addressing a webinar on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital purposes in agriculture organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Business (FICCI), jointly with the German Agribusiness Alliance.
‘AI for farmers’
In accordance to Bhutani, developing requirements for sharing and improving upon the good quality of facts will be monitored intently by the govt. “The govt is performing to present an enabling surroundings wherever non-public players and the govt can work alongside one another to deliver the advantage of AI to all farmers and consumers. This will also assist in bringing down the price for the consumers as properly as getting the finest price for the farmers,” he mentioned. This widespread databases is expected to be ready by 2022, he additional.
He mentioned AI can play a big function in ensuring the targets established for doubling cash flow of farmers, most of whom have incredibly compact keeping dimensions, averaging all around 1 hectare for each holder.
Considering that its launch, PMFBY has been a radical shift in the way crop insurance policy is applied in the nation. It is the 3rd-largest programme in the planet right after the schemes applied in the US and China, he mentioned. “Technology is the way ahead for the implementation of the programme,” mentioned Bhutani, who is also the CEO of PMFBY.
“The entire focus has shifted to applying engineering for running food items security and other aspects of agriculture. AI can be proficiently employed in soil monitoring, predictive facts analytics and improving upon supply chain inefficiencies. The Nationwide e-Governance project on agriculture, which has been revisited this calendar year, has specified focus on applying info engineering, AI, Device Finding out, and so forth.”
Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Agriculture Output Commissioner and Principal Secretary of Tamil Nadu govt, mentioned the Point out was 1 of the initially in the nation to undertake AI and implement it in farmer welfare programmes. “The effects and utility of digitisation and AI are, maybe, far more valuable in the agriculture sector than any other sector. Youthful farmers are taking to digitisation in a major way,” he additional.
Sustainable farming
Rajesh Raghavan, MD & State Supervisor-India, Husqvarna India Pvt Ltd, mentioned AI is a activity-changer to the agrarian local community and can play a pivotal function in each the demand and supply aspects of agriculture. AI and allied digital purposes can contribute to sustainable precision farming — from crop range to crop monitoring — thereby improving upon the profitability of the farming local community, he additional.
A report on use of AI in agriculture ready by FICCI and PwC, launched on the celebration, estimated the worldwide current market for AI in agriculture at $.85 billion in 2019 this is projected to contact $eight.four billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 24.eight for each cent.
