The Center has set up 22 Precision Farming Development Centers (PFDCs) across the country so that new technologies can be tested and changed to fit the needs of each area.
The Centre is thinking about giving Rs 6,000 crore to improve precision farming, which is a cutting-edge method that makes the best use of resources while having the least impact on the environment. Smart technologies are used, such as drones, AI, the Internet of Things, and data analytics.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) includes the Union Ministry of Agriculture's Smart Precision Horticulture program.
Sources say that it will help more than 60,000 farmers on 15,000 acres of land over the next five years, from 2024–2025 to 2028–2029. The farm Infrastructure Fund (AIF), which was created at COVID-19, can help pay for smart and precise farm infrastructure projects.
Individual farmers and farmer groups, such as Farmer Producer Organizations, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, and Self-Help Groups, can get loans from AIF with 3% interest waived so that they can use technology in their farming activities. Automation of farms and harvests, getting drones, putting in specialized sensors in the field, One example is the use of blockchain technology and AI in agricultural settings. Another is the integration of remote sensing and the IoT.
Sources say that the Center is thinking about working with Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to form relationships with Israel and the Netherlands, two countries that use tech-based modern farming solutions, in addition to giving them money. The number of CoEs will likely reach 100 in the next five years. As part of the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project, 32 CoEs have already been set up in 14 states.
The Center has also set up 22 Precision Farming Development Centers (PFDCs) across the country to test new technologies and make them work better in different areas.
The Ministry says that these 22 PFDCs are spread out among State/Central Agricultural Universities, ICAR Institutes, and IITs in the states of Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, West Bengal, Ladakh, UP, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttrakhand, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. States and union territories (UTs) can also get money for AI and machine learning projects through programs like the National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture.
