Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday asked officials to develop a dedicated mobile application and a website to integrate all agricultural schemes.
He also directed that a scheme be formulated to promote agricultural start-ups and said Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had expressed interest in collaborating in the sector.
Fadnavis and Gates met at the ‘Sahyadri’ guest house in south Mumbai in the morning.
“A comprehensive app and website should be developed to integrate all schemes of the Agriculture Department using AI-based technology. The department should prioritise encouraging agricultural start-ups and fostering innovation,” Fadnavis said.
He was speaking at a meeting on crop insurance schemes and e-crop inspection, a statement from the CM’s Office said.
Fadnavis stressed the need for a single-window interface to help farmers access information about agriculture and advisory services. He instructed the development of a farmer-centric app and website, ensuring the effective implementation of Agri Stack.
Agri Stack is the digital foundation being set up by the government to make it easier to bring various stakeholders together to improve agriculture in India and enable better outcomes and results for the farmers by using data and digital services.
The CM directed the integration of central and state government schemes, improving their implementation.
He also underscored the need to implement a specialised system for Maharashtra to ensure transparent seed sales and distribution through the SAATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) portal.
Fadnavis advocated the use of AI in agriculture for soil analysis, pest and disease management, supply chain development, and weather forecasting, said the release.
The chief minister also emphasised the importance of gaining knowledge from the private sector for agricultural research and promoting skill-based education in the sector, it added.
