5 day On campus training programme on Digital solutions for effective TOT in Agriculture for the officers of Department of Agriculture, Kerala State from 29th July 02nd August, 2025 at EEI, Hyderabad

Whenever you are booking an Uber or making payments directly through apps on the phone, you are using a digital platform for performing tasks that were once manual. The incorporation of technology in everyday tasks to improve functionality is known as Digitalization. Going back a few years, remember the time when opening a bank account required a visit to the bank and waiting in long queues? Thanks to the recent rapid digitalization, the exhaustive paperwork in banks, hospitals, and most private and public sector organizations seems to diminish as their businesses move online. Digitization has reduced the manual work – which was time-consuming, error-prone, and inefficient thus saving corporations millions. With advancements in AI, the data analysis capabilities have improved so that all the appliances in our house can be managed by a virtual assistant that can understand human voice commands and respond. Proving to be a boon to every sector, digitalization in agriculture is also slowly revolutionizing this vast and complex sector that remains the centre of the world economy as still over 60% of the global population depends on it for survival. Introduction to digital farming Digital farming can be defined as the use of technology by farmers to integrate financial and field-level records for complete farm activity management. According to a paper by the Direct Line Group, “Digital Farming is the consistent application of the methods of precision agriculture and smart farming, internal and external networking of the farm and use of web-based data platforms together with Big Data” Data from each plot can be analysed to provide information on soil, weather, and crop growth patterns to give actionable geographically relevant timely insights to prevent losses and optimize the productivity of each plot on the farm. Farmers can even get their queries solved and manage the supply chain directly through applications on their phones. Through pre-harvest and post-harvest management of farms, digital farming aims to take over all the aspects of farming from farm to fork. Keeping this in view Extension Education Institute, Hyderabad organized a 5 day On campus training programme on Digital solutions for effective TOT in Agriculture for the officers of Department of Agriculture, Kerala State from 29th July 02nd August, 2025 at EEI, Hyderabad. Content covered in the programme was- Overview on Digital Initiatives in Agriculture Sector, Web Portals for Agriculture Sector, Digital story telling: Web site development, Web page designing, Sensitization on cyber crimes, Agri-media skills for effective ToT, Hands on Training on: Usage of Plantix app, Development of QR codes & Google forms, Introduction to latest trends in digital solutions: Quantum computing, Generative AI, Chatbots& Metaverse (AR+VR), KRISHI TANTRA-Digital Soil Testing Kit and Rapid Soil testing kit-Hands on Training, GOI schemes and initiatives in Digital applications, Blog Orientation Back home planning, Gender budgeting for mainstreaming of gender in agri and allied sectors, Irrigation automation and Fertigation, Hands on Training-KISAN LINK APP, Drone Technologies in Agriculture, C-DAC Agri innovations. As part of the inauguration M.Yakadri, told that Digital technologies are transforming agriculture by providing farmers with tools for improved decision-making, increased efficiency, and enhanced sustainability. These technologies include mobile applications, data analytics, precision farming techniques, and automation, all contributing to a more productive and resource-efficient agricultural sector. Dr.M.Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, EEI specified that, Digital agriculture, sometimes known as smart farming or e-agriculture encompasses the tools that digitally collect, store, analyze, and share electronic data. As part of digital applications in agriculture, mobile apps and online platforms provide farmers with real-time access to vital information such as weather forecasts, market prices, crop management practices, and pest/disease diagnostics. Ice-breaking helped the participants to open up their mind to ease in understanding the concepts, free interaction with other fellow participants and making them to actively participate in the sessions. The field visit, The visit to Electronic wing made them to prepare jingles, effectively transfer technology by making use of short and effective digital applications. Visit to C-DAC is useful in terms of knowing and practically experiencing digital innovation in weather forecast and assessment, Wikaspedia application in agriculture .The visits were greatly empowered the participants on digital innovations. During hands on training, Web page development, Preparing jingles, QR Codes development, Google forms preparation, Usage of Plantix app, Rapid Soil Testing Kit KISAN LINK APP and operation of Drone etc had been demonstrated and the participants could able to acquire skills and practice, which in turn made them apply at their back home. On the occasion of valediction, Dr.M.Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, EEI felt that, the technologies such as remote sensors, drones, precision irrigation systems, and GPS-guided machinery, as well as the use of data analytics, AI, and machine learning to make informed decisions about crop management and farm resource allocation. He also mentioned that, the Digital Agriculture Mission, approved in September 2024 with a budget of ₹2,817 crore, aims to establish a comprehensive digital ecosystem for Indian agriculture. The mission focuses on creating Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, enhancing transparency and efficiency in government programs, and supporting evidence-based policy making. Key initiatives include AgriStack, a farmer-centric digital platform, and the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES). He has appealed all the participants to apply the learnings to increase the speed and precision in transfer of technology. During the feedback, the participants expressed that, the training programme was great experience of learning. They had practical exposure and handson experience of developing web pages. It has been an amazing experience in learning innovations in digital agriculture. The programme has been coordinated with excellence in providing valuable inputs, usefully discussions, sharing of wonderful experiences and updated knowledge from eminent speakers. Nineteen (19) middle level extension officials of Agriculture of Kerala state were attended the training programme, which was coordinated by Dr. K. Madhu Babu, Professor, EEI, Hyderabad