Context
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has introduced Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra, a WhatsApp-based service that helps oilseed farmers get scientific farming advice quickly and easily.
About Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra
- Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra is a WhatsApp-based AI-powered advisory service developed by the ICAR–Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad.
- It aims to support oilseed cultivation and improve farmers’ access to scientific guidance.
- The platform covers major oilseed crops such as groundnut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, soybean, and niger.
- Farmers can access the service directly through WhatsApp without installing any additional application.
- It provides 24×7, free-of-cost support in multiple Indian languages.
- The AI chatbot can understand queries in regional languages and provide crop-specific recommendations.
- It offers guidance on variety selection, crop management, pest and disease control, irrigation, seed availability, and post-harvest practices.
- The platform is powered by a knowledge base developed from the expertise of various ICAR research institutes.
