- Instructions given to connect farmers with Bharat Vistaar platform;
- Minister Shri Sarang held a review meeting of the Cooperative Department
Cooperative Minister Shri Vishwas Kailash Sarang held a review meeting with senior officials at the Ministry on Monday regarding the Union Budget for the year 2026-27. During the meeting, Minister Shri Sarang provided necessary guidelines for the effective and timely implementation of the provisions approved for the Cooperative Department in the Union Budget. Minister Shri Sarang directed officials to quickly prepare result-oriented action plans in accordance with the schemes and programs approved in the budget, so that the set goals can be achieved within the stipulated timeframe. He stated that, in line with the central government’s intention, strengthening the cooperative sector and increasing farmers’ income is the state government’s top priority. Principal Secretary of Cooperation Shri D.P. Ahuja, Managing Director of Seed Federation Shri Mahendra Dixit, Managing Director of Apex Bank Shri Manoj Gupta, and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
Minister Shri Sarang placed special emphasis on the widespread dissemination of the Bharat Vistar (AI-based) platform. He stated that this platform can connect farmers with innovative agricultural techniques, government schemes, weather forecasts, and scientific agricultural advice. He directed that farmers at the village level should be made aware of the use of this digital platform so that they can adopt modern technology and increase crop production and productivity.
Minister Shri Sarang, while giving instructions to make Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (PACS) more powerful and useful, said that a concrete action plan should be prepared to ensure the availability of animal feed and other essential agricultural and animal husbandry materials through PACS. He said that this will provide farmers and animal husbandry facilities at the local level and will reduce their dependence on other sources.Pay special attention to cluster-based development
Minister Shri Sarang directed officials of the Cooperative Department to prioritize the Cluster Based Development model. He said that this model will enhance the efficiency of cooperative institutions, enable proper utilization of resources, and ensure a sustainable increase in farmers’ income.
What is the VISTAAR platform?
The Bharat Vistaar platform stands for Virtually Integrated System to access Agricultural Resources (VISTAAR). It is an AI-based, modern agricultural advisory system that analyzes crop patterns, soil conditions, weather trends, and other agricultural data to provide accurate and useful recommendations to farmers.
The platform will also be connected to farmer call center services, allowing farmers to directly ask their questions and receive prompt resolution. Also, a real-time weather forecast API will provide farmers with timely information.