Microsoft Corp will provide Indian farmers post-harvest management solutions with an aim to improve efficiency and productivity across the entire farm sector value chain. The government has entered into a pact with the technology major, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, adding that such technology-driven initiatives are a step towards doubling the income of farmers. He said the government will partner with other technology players too to create a vibrant digital ecosystem for farmers.

“Initially, Microsoft will work in 100 villages of 10 districts across states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. The company will help farmers with post-harvest management solutions through building a collaborative platform and capturing agriculture datasets such as crop yields, weather data, market demand, and prices,” Tomar said.

As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Microsoft through its local partner CropData will leverage a master database of farmers to address the challenges of individuals or groups of farmers. “The government has a verified database of more than 50 million farmers along with their land records,” a senior agriculture ministry official said.