Historic Alliance Forged for Farmer Prosperity
In a significant development for Indian agriculture, two prominent voluntary organizations—one backed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and the other established by veteran leader Sharad Pawar—formally announced a strategic alliance on Sunday. The collaboration brings together Nagpur's Agrovision Foundation and Baramati's Agriculture Development Trust (ADT) to harness cutting-edge technology for the benefit of farmers across the nation.
Knowledge Sharing and AI Integration
The partnership focuses on knowledge sharing and the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in agricultural practices. Both organizations have also joined forces with the government's National Bureau of Soil Survey & Land Use Planning (NBSS-LUP) to disseminate crucial information to the farming community. The alliance was officially unveiled during a session at the ongoing Agrovision expo in Nagpur.
The initial phase will introduce AI-based standard operating procedures for farmers cultivating tur, oranges, and sugarcane. ADT has already demonstrated remarkable success with AI in sugarcane cultivation, achieving cane growth of up to 24 feet—double the normal size. These advanced systems were developed by IT giant Microsoft, utilizing research from the prestigious Oxford University.
Political Credibility and Farmer-Centric Approach
Addressing farmers at the Agrovision session, Nitin Gadkari revealed his pivotal role in bringing Sharad Pawar on board. "It's only because of my insistence that Sharad Pawar agreed to open the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) at Butibori," Gadkari stated. He further emphasized that he has requested Pawar to facilitate a knowledge-sharing tie-up with Panjabrao Krishi Vidyalaya, with the option to involve government officials if necessary.
Sharing the dais with Pratap Pawar—Sharad Pawar's brother and an ADT Trustee—Gadkari stressed that the collaboration is purely a farmer-centric initiative, devoid of political motives. "The plan is to start with 1,000 farmers first. Certainly, it's not a free service; they would have to pay Rs10 for registration. We are not a political party to invite freeloaders," Gadkari asserted, highlighting the program's serious intent.
Both Agrovision and ADT operate as not-for-profit organizations, with no business interests involved. The initial 1,000 registered farmers will receive soil health cards. Gadkari elaborated that AI-enabled practices will substantially reduce water and power consumption, along with pesticide use, ultimately leading to higher profits for farmers at an affordable cost.
National Recognition and Broader Impact
Pratap Pawar attributed his participation to Gadkari's credibility and the shared mission of farmer welfare. "We all work for farmers and need to come together. More people with similar intent should join; it would ultimately help the country's farmers," he remarked. He also highlighted the cascading benefits: improved sugarcane quality will increase the recovery percentage at sugar factories, thereby enhancing farmer earnings when factories prosper.
In a significant endorsement, Pratap Pawar disclosed that a team of experts from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had reviewed ADT's AI initiative for sugarcane and was convinced of its pure farmer welfare intent, devoid of political undertones. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was briefed on the initiative, leading to the PMO's involvement.
The AI-driven practices, built on Microsoft's technology and Oxford University's research, also saw participation from the Bill Gates Foundation. Pawar outlined the multifaceted national benefits: Better sugarcane leads to higher recovery and increased ethanol production. Using ethanol as fuel can reduce the country's petroleum bill. The practices also curtail fertilizer use, cutting down imports, while AI techniques significantly reduce water requirements.
Pawar credited ADT's persistent efforts for the prosperity of Baramati's farmers and confirmed that AI is the latest addition to their arsenal. The partnership with Agrovision Foundation aims to extend these AI benefits to farmers in other regions, with readiness to adapt the technology for other crops as well.
