Indian Govt launches Kisan Saarathi, a digital platform for farmers

The Indian government has launched the 'Kisan Saarathi' platform to provide additional assistance about farming and other crop-related issues to millions of farmers at their fingertips.

The new platform will help the farmers get the "right information at the right time" in their preferred language. Kisan Saarathi was launched jointly by Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, through the video conference on the occasion of the 93rdICAR Foundation Day on July 16, 2021.

In his address, Shri Vaishnaw, Minister of Information Technology, congratulated the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Electronics and Information Technology for launching the Kisan Saarathi initiative to empower farmers through technological interventions that reach farmers in remote areas.

He stated that through the digital platform, farmers will be able to interact with and receive personalized advice on agriculture and related topics directly from KrishiVigyan Kendra scientists (KVKs).

Meanwhile, several other dignitaries were present in the virtual event, and so were farmers, stakeholders, and partners from ICAR, DARE, MeitY, and KVKs from across the country.

Shri ParshottamRupala, Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and SushriShobhaKarandlaje, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare presided over the event.

Through the Kisan Saarathi, digital platform farmers will be able to obtain information about crops and crop production, good crop practices, the proper amount of produce, and a variety of other fundamentals directly from the scientists. Farmers can also learn new farming techniques, by using this platform.

Shri Vaishnaw requested that the ICAR Scientists research new technological interventions in the transportation of farmer's crops from their farm gate to warehouses, markets, and other locations where they want to sell with the least amount of damage.

It's worth noting that farmers and traders will be able to easily buy and sell crops owing to the information shared on the country's newly launched digital platforms for farmers.

Union IT Minister assured that the Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Communications will always be ready to provide all necessary support to the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying for Farmer Empowerment. He also mentioned that the Ministry of Railways is working on a plan to reduce the time required for crop transportation.

The ‘Kisan Saarathi' initiative will be extremely beneficial not only in addressing farmers' location-specific information needs, but also in ICAR's Agricultural Extension, Education, and Research activities, concluded Shri Vaishnaw.

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