Odisha”s Krushi Samrudhi Advisory System selected for ET DigiTech Awards:

New Delhi:18/3/25: Krushi Samruddhi Advisory System, the digital agriculture extension mechanism developed by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Odisha has been selected by the Economic Times Conclave to receive an award under the Jury Choice Category – “Digital Initiative in Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment” at the DigiTech Awards 2025 ceremony held on 18th March, at the Hyatt Regency, New Delhi.

Hon’ble Chief Minister Sh Mohan Charan Majhi Congratulates the Agriculture Department on being honoured under the Jury Choice Category – “Digital Initiative in Agriculture & Farmer Empowerment” at the ET DigiTech Awards 2025, For providing real-time, data-driven advisories, empowering our farmers and revolutionizing agriculture in Odisha.

Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Agriculture & Farmers Empowerment Minister Sh Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo also congratulated the department of Agriculture for this achievement.

Shri Vishal Gagan, IAS, Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of Odisha received the award at this event on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Government of Odisha.

Agricultural extension is the process of providing farmers with the knowledge and techniques needed to improve their agricultural outcomes ensuring that the latest advancements in agriculture are accessible to those working on the ground. Traditionally, service & extension delivery from VAWs to farmers occurs through direct 1:1 interactions, or at training in small cohorts. However, a very high farmer-to-VAW (2500:1) ratio in the state leads to lack of personalized timely advisories delivered to farmers.

Recognizing the challenges with traditional extension methods and the importance of technology, the Government of Odisha launched Krushi Samruddhi, an initiative aimed at providing digital extension services to farmers. Krushi Samruddhi is a two-way, voice-based platform that delivers weekly audio messages to farmers and allows them to call in for free, ask questions, and receive live responses from local agronomists.

The service covers a wide range of agricultural topics, from land preparation and seed varietal selection to appropriate application of fertilizer and other inputs, and post-harvest management. Farmers also receive relevant, non-agronomic information, such as government schemes targeting agricultural households and minimum support prices for main crops. The ability to broadcast advice based on frequently asked questions and areas of requirement along with temporal and geographic customization enables the delivery of personalized advisories.

Currently, through integration with the Krushak Odisha database, Krushi Samruddhi is able to deliver approximately 2000+ customised advisories (based on farmer data and needs) at scale to more than 75 lakh farmers in the state. Efforts are underway to incorporate AI/ML models, remote sensing technology, and satellite data to enhance the scope of the system by delivering more personalized and accurate advisories in the future.