Jaipur: In a major push towards sustainable and technology-driven agriculture, the Rajasthan agriculture department Friday signed 32 non-financial memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM), 10 agri-tech startups and 20 civil society organisations to accelerate natural farming, climate-resilient agriculture and agricultural innovation across the state.The agreements, signed at Pant Krishi Bhawan, aim to strengthen collaboration between the govt, research institutions, startups and grassroots organisations to improve farm productivity, promote organic farming and enhance farmers’ incomes in line with the state’s Viksit Rajasthan-2047 vision.Principal Secretary (Agriculture and Horticulture) Manju Rajpal said, “The challenges facing agriculture could not be addressed by the govt alone and required partnerships with research institutions, startups, civil society organisations and farmers.”Agriculture Commissioner Naresh Kumar Goyal, elaborating on the utility of these MoUs, said the collaborations would focus on natural and organic farming, climate-smart agriculture, water conservation, carbon credits, value addition, certification, marketing and women farmers’ empowerment. “Agri-tech startups will help introduce AI-based and digital farming solutions, while civil society organisations will support farmer training and awareness at the village level,” he added.Highlighting the state’s digital initiatives, Goyal said more than 8.7 million farmer IDs have already been created, while a subsidised fertiliser distribution system linked to farmer IDs is being piloted in Rajsamand and Sirohi. “More than 150 modules have been integrated into the Raj Kisan Saathi app to provide farmers access to departmental schemes through a single platform,” he added.The department said the MoUs would not impose any additional financial burden on the state as they are based on resource sharing.An Agri Innovation and Startup Cell, along with a dedicated support centre for agri-tech startups, will also be established to drive innovation and strengthen Rajasthan’s agricultural ecosystem.
