The State Agriculture Department has completed field trials of AI tools integrated with the Performance Monitoring Application (PMA), a mobile platform already used by over 10,000 field staff.
| Photo Credit: REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE
Artificial Intelligence is quietly making its way into Andhra Pradesh’s farmlands, not to replace farmers or field officers, but to verify, validate and strengthen the credibility of agricultural data generated at the grassroots.
The State Agriculture Department has completed field trials of AI tools integrated with the Performance Monitoring Application (PMA), a mobile platform already used by over 10,000 field staff for attendance, geo-tagged field activities and real-time communication with farmers. Following successful trials, the AI-enabled system is set for a statewide rollout shortly.
Once operational, every geo-tagged photograph, attendance entry and field report uploaded through the PMA app will undergo automated cross-verification by AI engines. The technology will check the authenticity of images, locations and timelines, ensuring that field-level data reflects actual on-ground conditions.
Speaking to The Hindu, Agriculture Director Manazir Jeelani Samoon said artificial intelligence is being introduced as a silent verifier to strengthen transparency and data-driven governance. “The system is designed to cross-check, verify and establish the genuineness of reports submitted from villages. This adds a new layer of credibility to agricultural data and policy decisions,” he said.
Officials explained that the AI engine can detect practices such as “photo-on-photo” uploads, where previously stored images are reused to make false claims. It will also correlate data on crops sown with seeds and fertilizers supplied, making it difficult to cultivate one crop and claim benefits meant for another. For instance, maize cultivation cannot be misreported as paddy under the new system.
DAC role
The initiative is being driven by the department’s Digital Agriculture Cell (DAC), which aims to stitch together land, crop and farmer information into a unified digital ecosystem. Set up to digitise agricultural schemes and field activities, the DAC is building comprehensive farmer and crop databases through user-friendly mobile and web applications.
With technical support from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and private technology partners such as Purpletalk, Symphonize and Vassar Labs, the Cell is transforming manual, paper-based processes into real-time digital systems while coordinating closely with all wings of the Agriculture Department.
One of the most visible outcomes of this digital push is e-Panta, the State’s online crop survey platform. Over five crore land parcels have already been digitally surveyed across Kharif and Rabi seasons. Crop details are geo-referenced and automatically linked with Revenue Department records, reducing disputes, errors and delays in delivering crop-related benefits.
Published – February 08, 2026 12:55 am IST
