Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today informed the media through a press conference on the occasion of important decisions and achievements for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in 100 days during the third term of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Dr. Himanshu Pathak and other officials of the Ministry were also present in the press conference.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and is also the base of our life and it is the biggest responsibility of the government to provide food security to 140 crore countrymen. Farmers are the soul and life of agriculture. Prime Minister Shri Modi said from the rampart of the Red Fort that he will work three times more than before. All the officers of the Agriculture Department, including me, had taken a pledge that why should the Prime Minister work alone, we will all work together. We have made this effort in the first hundred days. We have a six-point strategy for the welfare of farmers and development of agriculture.

First - increasing production, how to increase the yield per hectare? Among the decisions taken recently, the major decision was that to increase the production of crops, the Prime Minister had dedicated new seeds of 109 varieties of 65 crops to the farmers, which are climate friendly, pest resistant and high yielding.

Second - Reducing the cost of production, as important as it is to increase production, it is equally important to reduce the cost of production. One way of reducing it is to provide cheap fertilizers to farmers. We are committed to ensure that farmers get cheap fertilizers on time. He said that a bag of urea costs Rs 2366. We make it available to farmers for Rs 266. A bag of DAP costs Rs 2433 which we make available to farmers for Rs 1350.

The Union Minister said that another special work has been done in 100 days that the launch of Digital Agriculture Mission has been approved. He said that the National Pest Surveillance System is very important for farmers and farmers have also started using it. Shri Chouhan said that Modern Kisan Chaupal - Lab to Land is going to be started in October in which scientists will provide direct information to the farmers.We are trying to increase the production of horticultural crops along with traditional crops. We are setting up 9 modern centers to achieve this goal.

While briefing the media, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said about the major achievements of the Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in 100 days, which are as follows:

PM KISAN

The first important decision that PM took after taking over as Prime Minister for the third time was to release ₹ 21000cr  to more than 9.26 crore farmers. As part of the Government's 100-day program, saturation drives were undertaken  to add over 25 lakh new farmers to the scheme, bringing the total beneficiaries to 9.51 crore under the scheme.

Additionally, the Ministry utilised the voice based AI-chatbot “Kisan-eMitra” to assist farmers with queries regarding PM-KISAN, in their own language. To date, the Chatbot has successfully resolved more than 82 lakh queries from 50 lakh farmers. The Kisane Mitra Chatbot is being upgraded to support other schemes of the Ministry, such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) schemes.

The first important decision that PM took after taking over as Prime Minister for the third time was to release ₹ 21000cr  to more than 9.26 crore farmers.

As part of the Government's 100-day program, saturation drives were undertaken  to add over 25 lakh new farmers to the scheme, bringing the total beneficiaries to 9.51 crore under the scheme.

Additionally, the Ministry utilised the voice based AI-chatbot “Kisan-eMitra” to assist farmers with queries regarding PM-KISAN, in their own language.

Till date, the Chatbot has successfully resolved more than 82 lakh queries from 50 lakh farmers. The Kisane Mitra Chatbot is being upgraded to support other schemes of the Ministry, such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and PM Fasal BimaYojana (PMFBY) schemes

Export Import Policy (Important Agricultural Trade Policy Decisions Taken Recently)

Onion

• The Minimum Export Price of $ 550 per metric tonne on onions, and the export duty of 40% were restricting exports of onions by making them prohibitively expensive to foreign importers
• These were having a negative impact on the incomes of onion growers as exports fell and as they were not getting remunerative domestic prices
• The recent decision to remove the Minimum Export Price altogether is expected to free exports, as is the move to cut the export duty from 40% to 20%
• As export demand will now be added to domestic demand, farmers will surely benefit from higher prices.

Basmati Rice

• Basmati Rice is a major item of India’s agricultural export, and India is a large player in the international market, with a significant and proven comparative advantage
• But owing to export restrictions on Basmati rice, varieties costing between $ 800 to $ 950 per metric tonnes could not be exported at all, which prevented our producers from realizing their potential in the world market
• The welcome decision of doing away with the $950 per metric tonne Minimum Export Price of Basmati Rice will now enable the rice farmers to recover the foreign market for their premier produce
• As Indian Basmati enjoys a renowned for its quality, the increase in export demand is now assured, and the farmers will be able to get better prices

Edible Oils – Palm, Soya and Sunflower

• Just as farmers growing exportable crops need removal of restrictions, so do growers of importable items need some protection from low international prices
• Edible oils are a necessity in all Indian households, and hence, self-reliance in production of such items is desirable
• Low international prices of Palm and Soya oil and Nil Basic Custom Duty on imports of Palm, Soya and Sunflower Oil had been depressing prices in the domestic market
• Soyabean prices had been significantly below the Minimum Support Price (Rs 4892 per quintal) of upcoming crop
• The recent historic decision to increase the effective import duty on crude oil (Palm, Soya and Sunflower) from 5.5% to 27.5%, and on refined oil from 13.75% to 35.75% was the need of the hour
• This is expected to put some upward pressure on prices of domestically produced edible oils, like groundnut oil and mustard oil, because this decision has given a much-needed and much-awaited signal to the edible oil market
• The decision has come at the most appropriate time – harvests, especially of soyabean, are about to arrive in the Mandis, and if imports had continued to enter the market as before, prices would have plummeted. The decision has saved the farmers in time.

Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM –AASHA) 

The Cabinet has approved the continuation of integrated scheme of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan PM-AASHA) with a total budget outlay of₹35,000/- crore during 15^th Finance Commission Cycle up to 2025-26 to provide remunerative prices to farmers and also to control price volatility of essential commodities for consumers.

The Government has converged the Price Support Scheme (PSS) & Price Stabilization Fund   (PSF) scheme under PM AASHA to serve the farmers & consumer more efficiently. Now, the integrated scheme of PM AASHA will be implemented wherein, MSP operations will be implemented by DA&FW and Non-MSP operations will be implemented by DOCA which includes procurement from Pre-registered farmers on eSamridhi portal of NAFED and eSamyukti portal of NCCF. This would also motivate the farmers to cultivate more of these crops in the country and contribute in achieving self-sufficiency in these crops leading to reduction in dependence on imports to meet domestic requirement.

PM-AASHAwill now have the components of

• Price Support scheme(PSS ,
• Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) ,
• Price Deficit Payment Scheme(PDPS)
• Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

The Government has renewed & enhanced the existing Govt. guarantee to ₹45,000/- crore for procurement of pulses, oilseeds & copra at MSP from farmers. This will help in more procurement of pulses, oilseeds & copra from farmers at MSP whenever prices fall below MSP in the market.

The procurement of pulses, oilseeds & copra at MSP under PSS will be on 25% of national Production from 2024-25 seasons onwards which would enable States to procure more of these crops at MSP from farmers for ensuring remunerative prices and preventing distress sale.

To encourage farmers of Tur, Urad and Masoor to produce more for ensuring aatmanirbartha in pulses, the procurement ceiling of 25% has been lifted for these pulses for the year 2024-25.

During the ensuing Kharifseason, to ensure remunerative prices for farmers, sanction accorded for

• Procurement of a quantity of 28.36 LMT of soybean in 4 states namely Maharashatra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka under Price Support Scheme (PSS).
• Sanction accorded for procurement of a quantity of 1.33 LMT of Urad in 3 states namely Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka.
• Sanction for a quantity of 13,210 MT of sunflower has been accorded to Karnataka
• Sanction for a quantity of 43,500 MT of moong in Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka.

In order to encourage the states to come forward for implementation of Price Deficit payment System (PDPS), the coverage of notified oilseeds has been enhanced from

• Existing 25% of state production of oilseeds to 40%
• Enhanced the implementation period from 3 months to 4 months for the benefit of farmers.

In order to enable states take maximum benefit of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), the criteria for implementation of MIS will be

• Only 10% decrease in ruling market price over the previous normal year. 
• The coverage of crops has been enhanced from existing 20% of production to 25%. 

The Government has added the option of making differential payment directly into the farmers’ account instead of physical procurement under MIS.Further, in case of TOP (Tomato, Onion &Potato) crops, to bridge the price gap in  TOP crops between producing states & consuming states during peak harvesting time, the Govt. has decided to bear the transportation & storage expenses for the operations undertaken by Central Nodal Agencies like NAFED & NCCF which will not only ensure remunerative prices to farmers but also soften the prices of TOP crops for consumers in the market . MIS will now be a component of PM-AASHA.

Digital Agriculture Mission

The Cabinet Committee, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi approved the Digital Agriculture Mission on 2^nd September 2024 with an outlay of Rs. 2817 Crore.

The Mission seeks to build Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture, announced in the Union budget for 2023-24 and 2024-25. The DPIs are being built in coordination with the States.  The Government of India has signed MoUs with 19 States to build the DPIs under the Mission.

The Agri stack - DPI would provide farmers with a digital identity (Farmer ID) similar to Aadhaar. The crops sown data on farmer's land will be collected through mobile-based digital crop surveys. Pilots have already been conducted in six States to create Farmer IDs and 12 States for the mobile-based collection of crop-sown data.

The goal is to create digital identities for 11 crore farmers by 2026-27. The Digital crop survey to collect crop sown data is targeted to be launched nationwide within two years, with 400 districts covered in 2024-25 and the rest in 2025-26.

The Krishi Decision Support System - DPI launched on 16^th August 2024 will create a comprehensive national-level geospatial system to unify remote sensing-based information on Crops, Soil, Weather, water resources, etc.

Detailed Soil Profile Maps of about 142 million hectares of the country's agricultural land are envisaged to be completed. Soil profile inventory of about 29 million hectares has already been completed.

The Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) will provide yield estimates based on scientifically designed crop-cutting experiments. The pilots were conducted last year and now the new system is being rolled out nationwide from 2024-25.

The Digital Agriculture Mission seeks to enable the development of farmer-centric digital services and make available timely & trustful information for the sector such as;

1. 1. Farmers would be able to digitally identify and authenticate himself/herself to access benefits and services such as crop loan, crop insurance, MSP-based procurement, connected to agri-input suppliers and buyers of agricultural produce, etc, with minimal or no documentation and without physical visit to various offices or service providers.
2. 2. The trustful data would help government agencies make schemes and services more efficient and transparent.
   3. It will help in accurate crop production estimation, ultimately helping farmers with evidence-based government policies on pricing, import and export of agricultural produce.
3. 4. The DPIs will also help develop solutions for customized advisory services for farmers relating to crop planning, irrigation needs, crop health, pest and disease management, and irrigation requirements. It will also help facilitate farmers in crop diversification.

Krishi Sakhis

1. To further empower rural women, the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a MoU on 30.08.2023 under the convergence program. This partnership will train and certify Krishi Sakhis as para-extension workers, aligning with the "Lakhpati Didi" program.
    
2. Krishi Sakhis are experienced, trusted farmers deeply rooted in their communities. They have undergone 56 days of training in key agricultural practices such as agro-ecological techniques, soil health, livestock management, and bio-inputs.
    
3. Krishi Sakhis are currently receiving refresher training on natural farming and soil health cards in 12 states through the DAY-NRLM program.
    
4. Upon passing a proficiency test after training, Krishi Sakhis will be certified as Para-extension Workers.
    
5. Certified Krishi Sakhis, as agriculture Para extension worker, will earn over INR 50,000 annually, promoting their economic independence. (Annexure I)

6. Krishi Sakhi will take up MOA&FW  below mentioned activities
    

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)

In order to address the existing infrastructure gaps and mobilize investment in agriculture infrastructure, Agri Infra Fund (AIF) was launched under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package. AIF was introduced with a vision to transform the agriculture infrastructure landscape of the country. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through 3% interest subvention and credit guarantee support. The Fund of Rs. 1 lakh crore under the scheme will be disbursed from FY 2020-21 to FY 2025-26 and the support under the scheme will be provided for the duration of FY2020-21 to FY2032-33.

Progressive Expansion of AIF

Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved an expansion of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). Key measures include

• Allowing viable community farming assets for all eligible beneficiaries,
• Including secondary processing projects integrated with primary processing in eligible activities,
• Converging AIF with PM-KUSUM Component-A.
• NAB Sanrakshan included in scheme to extend credit guarantee support to FPOs.

Progress under the scheme

As on date, Rs. 48,500 Crores have been sanctioned for 76,400 projects under AIF. Major projects sanctioned under AIF include 18,606 custom hiring centres, 16,276 primary processing units, 13,724 warehouses, 3,102 sorting & grading units, 1,909 cold store projects, around 21,394 other kinds of post-harvest management projects and community farming assets.

Impact of AIF

Till date, more than 76,400 Agri infrastructure projects have been sanctioned bringing in more than Rs. 80,000 crores worth of investment in the sector and generating nearly 8.25 Lakh employment opportunities in rural areas. The storage infrastructure created under AIF has added nearly 500 LMT of storage capacity which includes approx. 466 LMT of dry storage and nearly 34 LMT of Cold storage capacity. This additional storage capacity can save up to 18.6 LMT of food grains and 3.44 LMT of horticulture produce annually.

DA&FW under its 100 Days Action Plan targeted to create over 7,000 infrastructure units across various regions with a total loan sanction amount of ₹5,000 crore mobilizing an investment of ₹ 7,500 crores for various post-harvest infrastructure projects and community farming assets.  This ambitious plan was executed for a 100-day period, commencing from 10th June and the target was surpassed with a performance @ 100 projects and Rs 100 crore investments per day. The performance during the 100 days against target is as follows

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Farmers Produce Organisation (FPO):

Facilitating various licenses support to the FPOs required for day to day operation

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India, with the help of State Government facilitated seed, fertilizer, pesticide and APMC trade licenses to FPOs. Thus, FPOs have established backward input linkages by stocking the entire range of inputs — including seeds, fertilizers, bio-pesticides & pesticides for its farmer members. Through this initiative, farmers act collectively and obtain group discounts on the purchase of various inputs (seed, fertilizers, pesticides etc) and, thus, eventually get a better price for the sale of their produce.

From the start of saturation drive to till date, the no. of input licenses (seed, fertilizer, pesticide etc.), APMC trade licenses, FSSAI & GST licenses etc. issued to FPOs have been increased from 7,728 licenses, to 22,462 which is around 3 times increase. In addition, 4433 FPOs were also on boarded on ONDC platform during the saturation drive.

Farmer members of the FPOs will receive numerous benefits from this intervention which included easy accessibility to quality agricultural inputs without the fear of spurious products and assured availability of the inputs throughout the season. In addition, it ensured affordable and fair prices that led to farmer’s savings on the input costs alone, as well as reduced the amount of time spent to get these inputs, since they are now available in the village itself. Savings in input and labour cost reduces the cost of production; thereby the farmers can get more profit to the produce they grow.

Onboarding of FPOs on ONDC Network

As on today - 7757 FPOs have been on boarded on ONDC network. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a transformative initiative aimed at democratizing e-commerce by creating an open and decentralized network.

The primary objective of this initiative is to expand the market reach of these FPOs beyond local boundaries, enabling them to connect directly with the consumers across India. Based on the direct dealing with the consumers and with their feedback, FPOs would be in a better position not only to take a better business decision but also to improve the product quality, required packaging, products mix, etc.  By joining ONDC, FPOs will also benefit from a unified market presence, gaining access to value-added services such as credit, insurance, and logistics, without being tied to a single platform. The network also allows B2B transactions, allowing FPOs to engage in bulk orders across India. ONDC’s B2B functionality has provision to include various product categories, from packaged goods and fruits and vegetables to raw commodities.

Clean Plant Program (CPP):

• Horticulture plays a very important role in crop diversification and provides opportunity to farmers to have better returns from their land.
• Horticulture farmers in the country face a major challenge in accessing high yielding, disease free and quality planting material to initiate an orchard, especially the cultivation of fruits. Taking note of this challenge, the Government of India has initiated the Clean Plant Program with an investment of Rs 1767.67 Crores.
• The program is being implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers welfare in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research and will provide fruit farmers Certified, disease-free planting material.
• CPP represents a major leap forward in enhancing the quality and productivity of fruit crops in the country that will have a very positive impact on farmers’ income and strengthen the country’s position as a leading global fruit exporter, expanding market opportunities and increasing its share in the international fruit trade.
• Under the Clean Plant Program Nine world class state of art Clean Plant Centres (CPCs) will be established which would be equipped with state of art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to produce disease free clean plants.
• Apart from the CPCs, more than 75 large nurseries will be created for the target fruit plants under the program, which in turn will start producing 4 to 6 crore disease free clean planting material from the fourth year onwards.

National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS)

The National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) is digital initiative by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) aimed at enhancing agricultural pest surveillance and improving pest management across the country. The system comprises of a mobile app and a web portal. The mobile app is available on both Android and iOS platforms for receiving pest-related information. The web portal is an integrated platform for monitoring pest incidences and issuance of advisory to the users. NPSS include pest identification module for 61 crops and surveillance module for 15 crops for issuing timely advisories.

NPSS has been launched by Hon’ble Agriculture Minister on 15^th August 2024 for use by farmers, students, scientists, experts etc. in the country. The benefits of NPSS include enhanced pest management, increased agricultural productivity, and data-driven decision-making. NPSS helps in reducing crop losses due to pests and thereby enhances agricultural productivity by providing farmers with timely and accurate pest management solutions. This marks a major step forward in safeguarding the nation's agricultural output and ensuring food security. With its innovative approach and technological advancements, NPSS represents a significant advancement towards ensuring food security and resilience in agriculture.

Progress of NPSS Application use from 15^th August 2024 onward:

1. 16000 no. of farmers across the country has downloaded the NPSS app.
2. 22359 surveys have been done over the app.
3. Pests over 61 crops are being identified by farmers.

Main Points of NPSS

1. NPSS has been launched by Hon’ble Agriculture Minister on 15^th August 2024 for use by farmers, students, scientists, experts etc. in the country.
2. NPSS include pest identification module for 61 crops and surveillance module for 15 crops for issuing timely advisories.
3. 22359 surveyshas been done over the app.
4. Pests over 61 crops is being identified by farmers

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

PMFBY is a Central Sector Scheme to provide Financial Protection to the Farming Communities against different risks and perils sustained by the agriculture & horticulture crops during the life-cycle of the crop across the country.

For the 100 days action plan for activities under the Scheme, getting more number of farmers covered in the current Kharif season in comparison to the last Kharif was one of the action points for the department.

For this purpose, the department has pro-actively approved requests received from different States and UTs for extension of cut-off-date for enrollment of farmers under the scheme. Further, a campaign was launched in the month of July 2024 to saturate the KCC Account holder farmers under PMFBY through the concerned bank branches. During the period one more state, viz. Jharkhand was also onboarded under the scheme.

As a result of these initiatives of GoI, approx. 35 lakh more farmers and 40 lakhs Ha were insured under the scheme. For Kharif 2024 the total number of farmers insured is expected to reach all time high of 293 lakhs and total insured area is expected to reach 365 lakh Ha registering a growth of more than 12%.

11. Flood Survey: Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare along with Sr officers from Ministry has visited Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to assess the flood situation. A central delegation also visited these states. A Report has been submitted to Hon’ble HM.

New Initiatives

Krishi Choupal

A new television and radio program named "Krishi Chaupal" marks an innovative step forward in the realm of agricultural education and outreach. Set to launch from October 2024, this initiative aims to bridge the gap between farmers and the latest agricultural research and technology, ensuring that vital information reaches those who need it most.

Objectives of KrishiChaupal are

1. Dissemination of New Agricultural Research:
   • The program will focus on sharing cutting-edge research findings with farmers, providing them with insights into new techniques, crop varieties, pest management, and sustainable practices. By translating complex research into practical, actionable advice, KrishiChaupal seeks to empower farmers to enhance productivity and sustainability.
2. Promotion of Best Agricultural Practices:
   • Emphasizing the importance of best practices in agriculture, the show will highlight successful case studies, innovative farming methods, and ecological farming strategies.
3. Facilitating Direct Communication with Agricultural Experts:
   • A key feature of KrishiChaupal will be its interactive format, allowing farmers to engage directly with agricultural experts through live Q&A sessions. This open line of communication will help address farmers' specific queries, concerns, and challenges, fostering a sense of community and support.

Farmers Grievance Redressal System (FGRS)

 DA&FW would be setting up a farmers grievance redressal system to provide multilingual support to farmers in registering their grievances related to any of the related schemes and seek redressal within stipulated timelines under clearly defined process with steps. The FGRS platform will provide seamless, multi-channel (web portal through CSCs, mobile app, call centre support, IVR, etc.) support to farmers to register their queries or grievances related to disbursement of subsidies, technical support, extension services, and or any issues related to implementation of programs and schemes. It will provide real-time tracking of grievance status and automated updates on progress, ensuring transparency and keeping farmers informed.

The FGRS will integrate keyword-based systematic categorization and prioritization of issues based on severity to ensure efficient handling and escalation matrix to assign the grievance to the relevant Governments/ Divisions/PSU/ autonomous bodies/ cooperatives for addressing the grievance and develops response. The FGRs intends to provide multilingual support to farmers in registering their queries or grievances related to any of the related schemes and seek Redressal within stipulated timelines.

We have witnessed significant achievements in crop production as under :

• As per the final estimates for the year 2023-24, the total food grain production in the country is estimated at 332.2 million tonnes, which is 2.6 million tonnes more than the production of 329.7 million tonnes achieved during the year 2022-23.

• This increase has happened as a result of good production of rice and wheat in the year 2023-24.
• . The total area coverage under Kharif crops in the year 2024-25 till 13.09.2024 is about 2% more than the previous year. The area of ​​rice has increased by about 16 lakh hectares and that of maize by about 4 lakh hectares as compared to last year.

Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan further told about the major achievements of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 100 days, which are as follows:

Major achievements of 100 days

Release of 109 climate resilient quality varieties and their future impact: During the last 100 days, 109 special trait varieties of 61 crops, including 34 food crops and 27 horticultural crops, were released and dedicated to the nation by the  Prime Minister. All these varieties are tolerant to various biotic and abiotic stresses such as insects, diseases, drought, waterlogging, heat, saline soil and some varieties are rich in high nutrients. As can be observed, climate change is becoming severe. These varieties will protect the farmer's crops from damage in adverse conditions in future and the farmer will get his full yield instead of the entire crop getting destroyed.

Framework for delivering new varieties to farmers as soon as possible: ICAR, agricultural universities and states have together prepared a complete framework to deliver the seeds of these varieties to farmers as soon as possible. Indents for breeder seeds for the upcoming Rabi season crops have been taken from the states. Apart from this, for delivering these to farmers and the government seed production institutions at the earliest, the cooperation of farmers and private sector enterprises will also be taken in seed production.

Inclusion of seed production centers on SATHI Portal: In this sequence, the Ministry has on-boarded 266 centers producing breeder seeds on SATHI Portal, which will ensure traceability of seeds and help farmers in getting quality seeds.

Release of advanced agricultural techniques:100 different advanced agricultural techniques have been released which are proving to be effective in giving inputs to farmers in right quantity and time, reducing costs and saving crops from various diseases and insects.

Strategic plans to protect from climate change: To deal with climate change at the block level, strategic plans have been developed for 140 blocks (28 states and 4 union territories), which include selection of right varieties in case of drought, waterlogging due to excessive rain, flood, sea storm etc., methods of water conservation, methods of saving crops and livestock in case of waterlogging etc. and work is going on to expand it to more areas.

Development of AI-based apps/tools: 10 AI-based, low cost and high capacity apps/tools have been developed, including a special platform for AI based pest identification for 61 crops, through which farmers are uploading photos of pests and getting information about their name and control. In the last one month, more than 15000 farmers have downloaded this app and started using it. Similarly, nine other AI based tools/apps have been developed and made available to farmers for use, which will be a boon for farming in the coming times.

Making the admission system of agricultural education online and development of VIKAS app: Admission, accreditation and RAWE programs etc. in Agricultural Universities have been made completely online and according to the National Education Policy-2020, Graduate Courses in Agriculture have been developed by incorporating provisions like Multiple Entry/Multiple Exit, emphasis on entrepreneurship, which will be implemented from the coming academic session. Along with this, a mobile app "VIKAS" (Venture for Interaction of Kisan& Agri-Students) has been implemented under 'Rural Awareness Work Experience (RAWE)' for graduate students, which will increase the interest of students in agriculture as well as provide them in-depth information about various farming activities.

Training of farmers by KVK: In order to develop skills of youth and women through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), more than 65,000 farmers and youth have been trained under the Kushal Yuva program in the last 100 days, out of which 32465 are women and 32941 are male trainees.

Steps taken to promote natural farming: Research and evaluation work is going on to know the scientific facts of natural farming and a graduate level course has been developed. 1, 01,633 farmers were trained through 2,476 training programmes and 7,592 demonstrations were organised by 425 KVKs on natural farming. In addition, 11.37 lakh farmers and other stakeholders were covered through 11,341 awareness programmes.

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