Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Digital Green Trust hosted a state-level workshop called “Harnessing Data to Unlock Digital Opportunities for FPOs,” which was funded by the Digital Green Foundation, at a hotel here on Wednesday.

The event showcased eFARM, a tool designed to assist Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in making data-driven decisions, along with Farmer.Chat, an AI-driven advisory platform providing farmers with 24/7 access to local, scientifically validated agricultural advice in their native languages.

Farmer.Chat is designed with a focus on resilience to climate change and gender inclusivity, ensuring it is accessible, especially for women farmers. The workshop attracted over 80 participants from FPOs and NGOs in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, in addition to more than 20 key representatives from government agencies, leading agricultural research institutions, and financial organisations.

With a focus on advancing the digital enablement of FPOs, the workshop served as a strategic platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. It highlighted innovative digital solutions such as e-FARM and Farmer.Chat, which are poised to transform how FPOs manage data, make informed decisions, and integrate more effectively with financial and market ecosystems. Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Digital Green Trust, emphasized the importance of digitizing FPOs to enable informed, evidence-based decision-making.

Notable participants included representatives from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) bodies such as the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), and also the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Senior officials from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) also took part in the discussions, adding valuable perspectives to the dialogue.

Experts highlighted the importance of digitization in enhancing operational efficiency and building sustainable business models for FPOs. Panel discussions and interactive sessions explored tools for data collection, analysis, and application in decision-making. Case studies demonstrated how data-driven insights are already enabling FPOs to access finance and improve their market linkages. The workshop concluded with a call for collaboration between technology providers, research institutes, and grassroots organizations to create an ecosystem that supports FPOs in their digital journey.