Smart Precision Horticulture Programme

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture

Context

• The Union Ministry of Agriculture is planning a Smart Precision Horticulture Programme under the existing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme.

About

• The government has also set up 22 Precision Farming Development Centres (PFDCs) across the country to test new technologies and modify them according to local needs.
• It will cover 15,000 acres of land in five years from 2024-25 to 2028-29 and is expected to benefit about 60,000 farmers. 
• At present, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), launched in 2020, has provisions for financing infrastructure projects for smart and precision agriculture.
  • Under AIF, individual farmers as well as farmers’ communities such as Farmer Producer Organization, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies and SHGs are eligible for loans with interest subvention of 3% for using technological solutions in farm practices. 

What is Precision Farming?

• Precision farming (PF) is an approach to farm management that uses information technology to ensure that the crops and soil receive exactly what they need for optimum health and productivity.
• Rather than applying similar inputs across the entire field, the approach aims to manage and distribute them on a site specific basis to maximize long-term cost benefit as well as prevent any waste.
• Over the last few decades, many technologies have been developed for PF; they can be divided into ‘soft’ and ‘hard.” 
  • Soft precision agriculture depends on visual observation of crops and soil management decisions based on experience and intuition, rather than statistical and scientific analysis. 
  • Hard precision agriculture uses all modern techniques such as GPS, remote sensing, and variable rate technology.

Precision Farming in India

• In India, the practice is so far developed for nutrient-use efficiency (NUE) and water-use efficiency (WUE). 
• PF in the Indian landscape is yet to become an integral part of mainstream farming systems. 
• However, technological advances and rising interest among scientific institutions bring new perspectives and reinvent the technology to suit all farm types and economic capabilities. 

Use of Technology in Agriculture

• It includes integrating cutting-edge digital technology into the farm production system, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, uncrewed aviation systems, sensors, and communication networks.
• These innovations will increase returns, and enhance the efficacy of irrigation and other inputs.

Role of Technology for Agriculture in India

• Assess Soil Health: Technological interventions based on soil sensors, remote sensing unmanned aerial surveying and market insights, etc., will permit farmers to assess crop and soil health conditions at different levels of production. 
• Improvement in Crop Yeild: Technologies like Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms can help in generating real-time actionable insights for improving crop yield, controlling pests, assisting in soil screening, providing actionable data for farmers, and reducing their workload.
• Use of Blockchain Technology: It will be offering tamper-proof and precise data about farms, inventories, quick and secure transactions, and food tracking. 

Significance

• Increasing agriculture productivity and lowering production cost,
• Inhibits soil degradation,
• Lessening of chemical application in crop production,
• Promoting effective and efficient use of water resources,
• Uplifting socio-economic statuses of farmers,
• Reducing environmental and ecological impacts,
• Augmenting worker safety.

Challenges in Implementation 

• Limited Digital Infrastructure: Rural areas often lack robust digital infrastructure such as internet connectivity and electricity, hindering the adoption of digital technologies by farmers.
• Digital Divide: There’s a significant digital divide between urban and rural areas in India. 
• Cost of Technology: Many digital agriculture solutions require huge investments which are unaffordable for smallholder farmers with limited resources.
• Fragmented Agriculture Sector: India’s agriculture sector is fragmented, with a large number of smallholder farmers and diverse crops grown across different regions.
  • Developing digital solutions that cater to this diversity is challenging.
• Capacity Building: Training farmers to effectively use digital tools and interpret the data generated is a major challenge.

Government Initiatives

• India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA): It is a framework designed to lay down the architecture for a federated farmers’ database, facilitating innovative agri-focused solutions using emerging technologies to enhance the agricultural ecosystem.
• National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A): Funds are allocated to states/UTs for projects involving modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Drones, Data Analytics, and Blockchain in agriculture.
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): A pan-India electronic trading portal connecting Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities, providing digital services to traders, farmers, and mandis.
• PM KISAN Scheme: Direct transfer of funds to eligible farmers’ bank accounts under Direct Benefit Transfer mode, with self-registration available through the Farmers Corner in the portal and a dedicated mobile app for broader access.
• Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (AGMARKNET): Supports the creation of agricultural marketing infrastructure by providing backend subsidy support and offers services through the AGMARKNET portal for stakeholders including farmers, industry, and policymakers.
• Mobile Apps by ICAR: More than 100 mobile apps developed by ICAR, State Agricultural Universities, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras are offering valuable information to farmers on crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries, and natural resources management.
• Soil Health Card Scheme: The Soil Health Card Scheme aims to assess the nutrient status of soil and provide customized recommendations for nutrient management to farmers. 
• Promotion of Precision Farming: Initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) promote precision farming techniques, including drip irrigation and fertigation, which enable more efficient use of fertilizers, including urea, by delivering nutrients directly to plants’ root zones.

Conclusion

• Modernizing the agriculture sector by adding cutting-edge technologies can benefit farmers’ incomes as well as the nation’s food and nutrition security while also being environment- friendly. 
• The agricultural sector is ready to be taken over by science and technology to boost output and efficiency so that more people can be fed while growing more food on less land, however, this transition has to be inclusive.

Source: IE