Now Reading: Tamil Nadu allocates ₹2 crore for AI-based farmer advisories
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Tamil Nadu allocates ₹2 crore for AI-based farmer advisories
Tamil Nadu's government unveiled the Uzhavar AI scheme as part of its 2026-27 Agriculture Budget on Thursday, Hindustan Times reported. Agriculture Minister R Vinoth allocated 2 crore rupees from state funds to…
Tamil Nadu's government unveiled the Uzhavar AI scheme as part of its 2026-27 Agriculture Budget on Thursday, Hindustan Times reported. Agriculture Minister R Vinoth allocated 2 crore rupees from state funds to build artificial intelligence and machine learning tools that will deliver technical advisories covering the entire crop cycle, from sowing to harvest, including localised weather forecasts, soil health and fertility management, pest and disease alerts and crop recommendations, through mobile devices. A companion Voice-First Agriculture Services feature will let farmers reach advisories, market intelligence and welfare scheme details by voice, building on the Uzhavar mobile application launched in 2021. The same budget funds Soil Health Cards for about three lakh farmers holding a Farmer Identification Number using 6.16 crore rupees in combined Union and state funds, a further 4 crore rupees for one lakh more farmers, 27.82 crore rupees for eight new integrated agricultural extension centres with 300-tonne godowns in districts including Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Coimbatore, and 3 crore rupees for a statewide agriculture expo.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Pairing AI-driven advisories with physical extension centres and Soil Health Cards points to a budget trying to combine digital and in-person support for farmers, with the Voice-First Agriculture Services feature aimed at bridging the accessibility gap for rural cultivators. The claim that data-driven tools will ensure fairness, transparency and efficiency in scheme implementation is the government's own, stated in the budget alongside the line that timely information matters as much to agricultural outcomes as timely rainfall. The allocation itself is small beside the 27.82 crore rupees going to the extension centres. Soil Health Cards for about three lakh farmers with a Farmer Identification Number, and eight extension centres with 300-tonne godowns, are the countable commitments the 2026-27 budget sets against this allocation.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
