News: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare plans to launch CROPIC, a study to gather crop information using field photographs and AI-based models. CROPIC Initiative
About CROPIC Initiative
- CROPIC stands for “Collection of Real Time Observations & Photo of Crops”.
- It is a study to gather crop information using field photographs and AI-based models.
- CROPIC is envisaged to be used in collection of geotagged crowd-sourced photographs from farmers and field coordinators through smartphones.
- Purpose
- CROPIC is an initiative under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with a dual purpose of monitoring crop health and stress and automation of crop loss assessment and payment of claims to affected farmers using computer vision technology and photo-analytic models.
- It will assist in creating a rich directory of crop signatures, and will also lead to automation of loss assessment and compensation to eligible farmers under PMFBY.
- This initiative is part of digital innovations in agriculture for fostering financial resilience.
- Coverage
- CROPIC will be rolled out initially in at least 50 districts per season.
- These districts will be well distributed in different agro-climatic zones covering the three major notified crops (notified crops are those covered under insurance schemes like PMFBY) in each district for each season, initially.
- Funding
- The Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT) under PMFBY will be used for funding CROPIC.
- The FIAT has a total outlay of Rs. 825 crore for different technology innovations under crop insurance schemes.
- The Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT) under PMFBY will be used for funding CROPIC.
