4 days ago
AI Helps Indian Farmers With Crop and Cattle Care
AI tools are helping some Indian farmers ask questions in languages they speak every day.
Farmers can use them to learn about crops, weather, pests, prices and government programs.
One tool, MahaVISTAAR, is used by a Maharashtra beekeeper and farmer.
Another tool, Sarlaben, helps Gujarat dairy farmers care for their cows and buffaloes.
Farmers can ask Sarlaben about feeding, breeding, illnesses and vaccinations.
It can sometimes suggest simple care or help farmers find a veterinary specialist.
Experts warn that AI must understand local languages and farming conditions to be useful.
They also say farmers should help design these tools so the technology fits real life.
Maharashtra’s MahaVISTAAR gives farmers crop, weather, pest-control, price and government-scheme information.
Beekeeper Dipali Kalbhor says MahaVISTAAR helped reduce her fertiliser use by about 15%.
Amul’s Gujarati-language Sarlaben assistant provides advice on cattle health, feeding, breeding, vaccinations and schemes.
Sarlaben helped farmers identify animal problems and connect with specialists, although one calf in an emergency did not survive.
Experts say agricultural AI must understand local languages, conditions and daily realities rather than simply translate systems built elsewhere.
- Who
- Indian farmers, including farmers in Maharashtra and Gujarat, along with technology leaders and agricultural officials.
- What
- AI systems are providing crop, weather, market, government-service and cattle-care information in local languages.
- Where
- Across India, with examples from Maharashtra’s Ajarpura village and Gujarat locations including Ishnav (Palaj).
- When
- The article describes current use of these systems and references the Gates Foundation’s 2026 Goalkeepers Report.
- Why
- To give farmers faster, more personalised information and connect them with agricultural and veterinary services in languages they understand.
AI’s Benefits
AI’s Challenges
Access to useful information
AI’s Benefits
Supporters say voice-based, local-language AI can quickly provide farmers with personalised advice, crop information and access to specialists.
AI’s Challenges
Critics and experts warn that farmers may be left behind if AI does not understand their language, local context or level of digital literacy.
How AI should be developed
AI’s Benefits
Technology leaders envision AI becoming an everyday assistant that makes farming and earning a livelihood easier.
AI’s Challenges
Experts argue AI should be developed with farmers as co-inventors rather than built elsewhere and translated later.
Limits of automated advice
AI’s Benefits
Sarlaben helped some farmers identify animal problems, provide basic care and recognise when specialist help was needed.
AI’s Challenges
The article shows that AI cannot replace professional intervention in serious cases: one calf died despite the system helping save the cow.
Key facts
- MahaVISTAAR
- A Maharashtra agricultural platform offering crop prices, weather, pest-control, fertiliser and government-scheme information.
- Fertiliser reduction
- Farmer Dipali Kalbhor says the platform helped her reduce fertiliser use by around 15%.
- Sarlaben
- Amul’s Gujarati-language AI assistant for cattle health, feeding, breeding, vaccinations and government schemes.
- Animal data
- Sarlaben uses farmers’ mobile numbers and information Amul holds about their animals to provide more specific advice.
- Languages
- India has 22 scheduled languages as well as hundreds of other languages and dialects.
- Training imbalance
- The Gates Foundation’s report says more than 90% of data used to train early large language models came from English-language sources.
Quotes
Gayatriben
A dairy farmer from Gujarat who uses Amul’s Sarlaben AI assistant.
“One of our buffaloes wouldn’t stop banging his head on a tree. Before, I’d have to go through the cooperative, pay Rs 150 for a vet visit, then wait for him to get the issue resolved. Now, I just call Sarlaben.”
thebetterindia.com
“So it’s never generic advice. It can be specific to your cow, backed by years of Amul’s dairy research.”
thebetterindia.com
Debjani Ghosh
A 2026 Goalkeepers Champion advocating human-centric AI for informal workers and farmers.
“You open your phone, and you have all the information with respect to weather, rain, not rain, what does this mean for your crop, should you take any steps. It will be a voice message; you don’t even have to read, you can listen and understand.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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