**Summary:**
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has implemented "Agricultural Revolution 4.0," leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT-enabled systems to enhance crop productivity, sustainability, and farmer livelihoods. Key initiatives include:
* **Kisan eMitra:** An AI-powered, voice-based chatbot assisting farmers with queries related to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. It supports 11 regional languages, currently handles over 20,000 daily queries, and has addressed more than 9.5 million queries to date.
* **National Pest Surveillance System:** An AI and Machine Learning-based system used by over 10,000 extension workers to detect pest infestations in 61 crops and over 400 pest combinations. This system enables timely intervention and reduces crop losses by allowing farmers to capture images of pests.
* **AI/ML Analytics:** Utilizing field photographs for crop health assessment and pest identification.
* **Crop Health Monitoring:** Employing satellite imagery, weather data, and soil moisture datasets for rice and wheat crops.
* **Digital Agriculture Mission (NeGPA):** Providing funding to States/Union Territories for Digital Agriculture Projects using emerging technologies like AI, ML, and IoT.
* **Soil Health Card Program:** Assessing real-time soil fertility by analyzing soil samples for 12 key parameters in laboratories. The program provides farmers with integrated fertilizer recommendations through Soil Health Cards.
* **Per Drop More Crop (PDMC):** A centrally sponsored scheme implemented since 2015-16, focusing on enhancing water use efficiency through micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler systems). The government provides financial assistance of 55% for small and marginal farmers and 45% for other farmers for the installation of these systems.
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture Farmers Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for agriculture and farmer welfare.
Kisan eMitra: A voice-based AI-powered chatbot developed to assist farmers with responses to their queries on the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi: A government scheme mentioned in the context of Kisan eMitra, likely a financial support program for farmers.
National Pest Surveillance System: A system that utilizes AI and Machine Learning to detect pest infestation in crops.
Digital Agriculture Mission: A mission that funds States/UTs for Digital Agriculture Projects using emerging technologies.
Soil Health Card Program: A government program assessing real-time fertility condition of soils through soil samples collected from farmers' fields.
Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare: Implementing agency for Per Drop More Crop scheme.
Per Drop More Crop: A Centrally Sponsored Scheme focused on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro-Irrigation.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
BLUEPRINT OF AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION
4.0
Posted On: 25 JUL 2025 6:26PM by PIB Delhi
The government has employed Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods and IoT-enabled systems to improve crop
productivity, sustainability and farmer livelihoods, and to address various challenges in the agricultural sector
to aid farmers, etc. 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 the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This solution supports 11 regional languages and is
evolving to assist with other government programs. At present, it handles over 20,000 farmer queries
daily and so far, more than 95 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 crops, 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 61 crops and over
400 pests combinations.
iii. AI/ML-based analytics using field photographs for crop health assessment and pest identification.
iv. Crop health monitoring using Satellite imagery, weather & soil moisture datasets for rice and wheat
crops.
v. Under the National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA) component of the Digital Agriculture
Mission, funding is given to the States/UTs for Digital Agriculture Projects using emerging technologies
like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) sensor-based
systems etc.
vi. Government is assessing real-time fertility condition of soils through its ongoing Soil Health Card
Program, where soil samples are collected from fields of farmers. These soil samples are analysed in the
Laboratory for determining the 12 important soil parameters, and based on their results, optimum
integrated fertilizer recommendations are given to the farmers through the Soil Health Card.
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme
of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) in the country from 2015-16 onwards. PDMC focuses on enhancing water-
use efficiency at the farm-level through Micro-Irrigation, namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems.
Micro Irrigation systems help in saving water as well as reducing fertilizer-usage through fertigation lower
labour expenses lower other input costs and overall income enhancement of farmers. The Government
provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for the
installation of Drip and Sprinkler systems under the PDMC.
This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, shri Shri Ramnath
Thakur in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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RC/ KSR/AR
(Release ID: 2148517)