Ajit Pawar announced plans to increase farm pond subsidies and promote AI in agriculture. Pune district prepares to distribute 48,000 quintals of seeds ahead of timely monsoon predictions.
Anshu Kashid
Pune | May 19, 2025: Aiming to give farmers in water-starved areas more robust support, Deputy Chief Minister and Pune district guardian minister Ajit Pawar declared that measures are under way to raise the subsidy under the Krishi Talab Yojana. For the Kharif season, he also directed agricultural officials to guarantee timely provision of fertilisers, insecticides, and quality seeds.
Pawar was addressing the District Pre-Kharif Weather Review Meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan, where key district and agriculture department officials were present. Among the attendees were MLAs Rahul Kul, Sunil Shelke, Chetan Tupe, Hiraman Mandekar, Babaji Kale, and Mauli Katke, along with Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Collector Jitendra Dudi, and senior agriculture officers.
Highlighting the district’s tech-forward approach, Pawar said a significant budget of Rs 500 crore has been earmarked to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture. Through the Agriculture Hackathon initiative, innovative technologies will be introduced to farmers, which are expected to gain traction once their benefits are realized in real-time farming.
“Once farmers see how AI helps with decision-making, demand will naturally rise. We’re prepared to expand funding further based on its success,” Pawar added.
The Krishi Talab Yojana (Farm Pond Scheme) initially offered farmers a subsidy of Rs 50,000, later raised to Rs 75,000. Ajit Pawar acknowledged growing demand to further increase this subsidy to Rs 1 lakh, especially in drought-prone areas, and assured that discussions are in progress.
He emphasized zero tolerance toward fake seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, directing that all complaints be addressed swiftly. “Any violations will have to face strict action”. Farmers must not suffer due to spurious inputs, he warned.
Plans are in sync as the Meteorological Department predicts timely rain. Even though the district has traditionally supplied around 34,000 quintals of seeds in the past three Kharif seasons, the target this year has been set at 48,000 quintals to meet the increasing demand on 2 lakh hectares of Kharif area.
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