Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal to provide farmers with easy access to government schemes, financial assistance and reliable agricultural information through their mobile phones.
The portal aims to simplify access to government services, reduce procedural hurdles and minimise the role of intermediaries. It will serve as a single-window gateway to major initiatives, including PM-KISAN, AgriStack and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
Addressing the launch programme, Chouhan said the Prime Minister’s vision was to ensure that the government remained accessible to citizens and farmers through their mobile phones at all times. Technology, he said, could fulfil its purpose only when it reached farms and rural communities and made farmers’ lives easier.
With the upgraded portal, farmers will no longer need to visit multiple government offices or navigate different websites to obtain information about schemes or submit applications, according to the ministry.
Single Platform for the Agricultural Ecosystem
The portal will bring together farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), agricultural scientists, researchers and startups on a common digital platform.
It will provide information on government schemes, subsidies, rules and digital services through a single interface. Online eligibility checks, direct application facilities and the transfer of financial assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) are intended to make the delivery of government support more transparent and reduce dependence on intermediaries.
Farmers will also be able to access information on weather conditions, scientific farming practices, the availability of seeds and fertilisers, and prevailing market prices for agricultural produce.
Training Campaign Through KVKs
Emphasising the importance of reliable information, Chouhan directed officials to ensure that the portal remained accurate and was updated regularly. He cautioned that outdated or incomplete information could undermine public trust in the system.
The minister also stressed the need to keep the portal’s language and procedures simple so that small and marginal farmers, including those with limited formal education, could use it easily.
To help farmers use the portal and other digital tools effectively, a special training campaign will be conducted through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the country.
Designed for Rural Connectivity and Accessibility
The upgraded portal is designed to provide a secure, mobile-friendly and accessible digital experience. Its lightweight, user-friendly interface is intended to work on basic smartphones and in areas with weak internet connectivity.
The portal also incorporates accessibility features, including screen-reader support and simplified navigation, to make its services easier to use for visually impaired people and other persons with disabilities.
Chouhan commended the technical team for completing the upgraded portal within the stipulated timeframe.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Secretary Atish Chandra, Additional Secretary Pramod Meherda, senior officials from the ministry’s Digital Agriculture Division and representatives of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) attended the launch.