Union Budget 2026: Digital farming to get AI push through Bharat-VISTAAR, FM proposes new initiatives for farmers

NEW DELHI: Laying down a broad roadmap for achieving one of its duties (kartavya), the government in its Budget on Sunday emphasised on "targeted efforts" to increase farmers' income through "productivity enhancement and entrepreneurship", using cutting-edge technology, including multilingual AI tool, and proposed launch Bharat-VISTAAR(Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources). The move will help farmers in taking farm-level decision making by receiving date-driven customised digital advisory.The govt also proposed focus on high value agriculture crops such as coconut, sandalwood, cocoa and cashew in the coastal areas, agar trees in north-east and nuts such as, almonds, walnuts and pine nuts in hilly regions, and put special attention on fisheries and livestocks as part of giving a big push to the farm and allied sectors.Proposing launch of Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI tool that will integrate the AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “This will enhance farm productivity, enable better decisions for farmers and reduce risk by providing customised advisory support.”For the fisheries sector, she proposed to undertake initiatives for integrated development of 500 reservoirs and ‘Amrit Sarovars’ (ponds) and strengthen the fisheries value chain in coastal areas and enable market linkages involving start-ups and women-led groups together with Fish Farmers Producer Organisations.Similarly for the animal husbandry sector, the minister proposed a credit-linked subsidy programme, scaling-up and modernisation of livestock enterprises, enhance creation of livestock, dairy and poultry-focused integrated-value chains, and encourage creation of Livestock Farmer Producers Organisations.Pointing out that livestock contributes close to 16% of farm income, including of poor and marginal households, Sitharaman proposed to roll out a loan-linked capital subsidy support scheme for establishment of veterinary and paravet colleges, veterinary hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and breeding facilities in the private sector.The scheme will help in scaling up availability of veterinary professionals by more than 20,000. “Collaboration between Indian and foreign institutions will also be facilitated,” said the minister.