Agri-technology

Dhankhar urged farmers to see themselves as entrepreneurs with the potential to drive rural economies. He underscored the importance of participating in the input chain of agriculture (fertilizers, pesticides, machinery) and the output chain including storage, processing, and retail.

The ministry of agriculture and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will jointly implement the campaign with a broad coalition of stakeholders, including agricultural universities, state government departments, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and leading progressive farmers.

In a landmark development poised to reshape the future of agriculture, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced the successful creation of the world’s first genome-edited rice varieties developed indigenously in India.

As smart farming technologies continue to mature, frameworks like this will be key to ensuring that agriculture not only meets the demands of a growing global population but does so in a way that is sustainable, efficient, and secure.

By training villagers in digital skills and providing them with the tools to access government services, these initiatives improve livelihoods and foster a sense of empowerment in rural communities.

A gene bank serves as a biorepository for preserving genetic material, such as seeds, pollen, and tissue samples, collected from various plant species. The primary objective is to protect these valuable resources from extinction and support research, conservation, and breeding efforts.

Eligible projects include warehouses, silos, cold chains, logistics facilities, and smart precision agriculture infrastructure. Loan applicants must contribute at least 10 per cent of the project cost, and an entity can apply for up to 25 projects, each eligible for a loan of up to Rs. 2 crore.

The climate-smart agriculture concept reflects the ambition to improve the integration of agriculture development and climate responsiveness.