Tech-models for improving farmers revenue
Global technology house, IBM, will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide Indian farmers all the relevant data and platform for developing technological models for improving agricultural output and productivity for various crops and soil types, for the identified districts.
IBM and National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog are to develop a crop yield prediction model using to provide real time advisory to farmers in Aspirational Districts.
The two have signed a Statement of Intent on 4 May 2018.
The partnership aims to use technology to provide insights to farmers to improve crop productivity, soil yield, control agricultural inputs with the overarching goal of improving farmers’ incomes.
Speaking at the signing, Karan Bajwa said, “IBM is proud to be associated with NITI Aayog for working on the first of a kind project leveraging AI in agriculture across 10 districts in India, in Phase One.”
Highlighting the need of such collaborations, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, “Bringing in future technologies like Artificial Intelligence into practical use will have tremendous benefits for the practice of agriculture in the country, improving efficiency in resource-use, crop yields and scientific farming.”
The 10 Aspirational Districts chosen will be invigorated with cutting-edge technological support to leap-frog development of agri-based economies, he said.
First phase of the project will focus on developing the model for 10 Aspirational Districts across the States of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The project is to introduce and make available climate-aware cognitive farming techniques and identifying systems of crop monitoring, early warning on pest/disease outbreak based on advanced AI innovations.
It also includes deployment of weather advisory, rich satellite and enhanced weather forecast information along with IT & mobile applications with a focus on improving the crop yield and cost savings through better farm management.
NITI Aayog, on its part, will facilitate the inclusion of more stakeholders on the ground for effective last mile utilisation and extension, using the insights generated through these models. fii-news.com
