**Executive Summary**
This document, released on December 5, 2025, outlines AI-based initiatives by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to improve weather forecasting and crop management for farmers. It reports on a Kharif 2025 pilot program providing monsoon onset forecasts and details other AI applications for agriculture. The information was provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Monsoon Onset Forecast Pilot:**
* A pilot program was conducted in collaboration with the Development Innovation Lab-India to provide agriculturally relevant local monsoon onset forecasts across 13 states for Kharif 2025.
* An open-source blended model incorporating NeuralGCM, ECMWF's AIFS, and 125 years of historical rainfall data from IMD was utilized.
* Forecasts were sent via SMS through the M-Kisan portal to 3,88,45,214 farmers in 13 states in five regional languages.
* 31-52% of farmers adjusted planting decisions based on the forecasts, including changes in land preparation, sowing timing, crop, and input choice.
* **AI Initiatives for Agriculture:**
* The government is employing AI methods to improve crop productivity, sustainability, and farmer livelihoods.
* **Kisan e-Mitra:** A voice-based AI chatbot assists farmers with queries on PM KisanSammanNidhi scheme, PM Fasal BhimaYojna, and Kisan Credit Card, supporting 11 regional languages. It currently handles over 8000 queries daily.
* **National Pest Surveillance System:** An AI and Machine Learning-based system detects pest infestations, enabling timely intervention, used by over 10,000 extension workers, supports 66 crops and over 432 pests, using AI-based analytics.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers**
* **Impact:** Farmers in 13 states receive localized monsoon onset forecasts via SMS and benefit from the Kisan e-Mitra chatbot and the National Pest Surveillance System. They can make more informed planting decisions and mitigate pest-related crop losses.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the information received via SMS, the Kisan e-Mitra chatbot, and the National Pest Surveillance System to optimize planting strategies, address pest infestations promptly, and make well-informed decisions on land preparation, sowing timing, and input choices.
**Extension Workers**
* **Impact:** Empowered with the National Pest Surveillance System, extension workers can more effectively monitor crops for pest infestations and provide timely advice to farmers.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the National Pest Surveillance System to monitor crops for pest infestations and assist farmers in mitigating pest-related crop losses.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Primary governing body responsible for the AI-based weather forecasting initiatives described.
Kisan e-Mitra: A voice-based AI-powered chatbot to assist farmers with their queries.
M-Kisan portal: A platform used to send local monsoon onset forecasts to farmers via SMS.
PM KisanSammanNidhi scheme: A scheme related to farmer's queries answered by 'Kisan e-Mitra'.
National Pest Surveillance System: An AI and Machine Learning based system for detecting pest infestation in crop issues.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
AI-Based Weather Forecasting Initiatives for
Farmers
प्रव तथ: 05 DEC 2025 7:00PM by PIB Delhi
An AI-based pilot was conducted in collaboration with the Development Innovation Lab- India on
agriculturally relevant local monsoon onset forecasts across parts of 13 states in India for Kharif 2025. An
open-source blended model was used, including NeuralGCM, the European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecasts’ (ECMWF) Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System (AIFS), and historical rainfall
data from 125 years from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).The probabilistic forecasts
predicted only the local onset of the monsoon, which is essential for deciding on the date of sowing crops.
Local monsoon onset forecasts were sent via SMS through the M-Kisan portal to 3,88,45,214 farmers in
13states in five regional languages- Hindi, Odia, Marathi, Bangla, and Punjabi. Telephonic farmer
feedback surveys were conducted in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar through Kisan Call Centres after the
forecasts were sent. The survey revealed that 31–52% farmers adjusted their planting decisions, primarily
through changes in land preparation and sowing timing, which included crop and input choice.
Further, the government has employed Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to improve crop
productivity, sustainability and farmer livelihoods and to address various challenges in the agricultural
sector.Some initiatives are given below:
I. “Kisan e-Mitra” is a voice-based AI-powered chatbot, developed to assist farmers with responses to
their queries on PM KisanSammanNidhi scheme, PM Fasal BhimaYojna and Kisan Credit Card.
This solution supports 11 regional languages and is evolving to assist with other government
programs. At present, it handles over 8000 farmer queries daily and so far, more than 93 lakh
queries have been answered.
II. The National Pest Surveillance System, for tackling the loss of produce due to climate change,
utilizes AI and Machine Learning to detect pest infestation in crop issues, enabling timely
intervention for healthier crops. This tool, currently used by over 10,000 extension workers, allows
farmers to capture images of pests to help them mitigate pest attacks and reduce crop losses. At
present, it supports 66 crops and over 432 pests. AI-based analytics using field photographs for
satellite-based crop mapping is being used in Crop-weather matching monitoring of crops sown.
This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath
Thakur in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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