HYDERABAD: Telangana aims to emerge as a national leader in digital agriculture by integrating advanced technologies with farming to benefit small and marginal farmers, IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday.
After meeting representatives of Germany’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute at the Secretariat, the minister said the government is working to make agriculture more profitable, sustainable and climate-resilient through AI, IoT and data-driven solutions. “The government is committed to reducing cultivation costs, minimising chemical use and helping small farmers adopt technology that boosts productivity and protects the environment,” he said.
Noting that agriculture supports over 55% of state’spopulation and remains a key contributor to the GSDP, Sridhar said the state’s strong tech ecosystem offers a unique edge in driving digital transformation in farming. He cited initiatives using advanced soil sensors, AI-based analytics and early warning systems to cut pesticide use and input costs.
The minister also reviewed the ‘Accelerating Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Telangana’ project, implemented over the past two years in three villages near Vemulawada with Fraunhofer HHI’s support.