Narendra Singh Tomar Launches SATHI Portal and Mobile App for Seed Traceability

On 19th April, the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication, and Holistic Inventory) portal and mobile app. This centralized online system has been developed to address the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification, and seed certification by providing traceability, authentication, and inventory management.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) developed it in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, with the theme of ‘Uttam Beej – Samriddh Kisan’.

Minister Tomar highlighted that the Indian government is continually striving to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced by the agriculture sector through various schemes and programs. The SATHI portal is an essential step in this direction, and its use at the grassroots level will bring a revolutionary change in the field of agriculture.

The agriculture minister emphasized the crucial significance of agriculture in India, especially in the current times where not only our own needs but also the global expectations from India are increasing. It is now our responsibility to tackle the challenges of agriculture and climate change while contributing to feeding the world.

The minister highlighted the major role played by seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation in agriculture. The usage of inferior or counterfeit seeds can lead to a negative impact on the growth of agriculture, causing loss to farmers and affecting the country's overall agricultural production. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a system that can effectively prevent the market of counterfeit seeds and ensure that quality seeds reach the farmers.

To address this, the government has launched the SATHI portal. In addition, the minister stressed the importance of agricultural research to combat new types of pests that are affecting crops due to climate change. By effectively mitigating these losses, up to 20% of the entire agricultural production can be saved.

The Agriculture Minister has announced the launch of the first phase of the Seed Traceability, Authentication, and Holistic Integration (SATHI) portal. He has instructed officials to expedite the second phase and raise awareness among farmers to maximize its benefits. The SATHI system will employ QR codes to enable seed tracing and provide training through various channels, such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and state governments. The Minister has urged all states to participate in the Seed Traceability System, which will ensure quality assurance and trace the source of seeds in the production chain.

The system encompasses seven verticals of the seed chain, including research organizations, seed certification, licensing, cataloging, dealer-to-farmer sales, farmer registration, and seed direct benefit transfer. Only dealers with valid licenses may sell certified seeds to registered farmers, who will receive a subsidy through DBT directly into their pre-validated bank accounts.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Manoj Ahuja, as well as the Joint Secretary for Seeds, Pankaj Yadav, and other officials attended the event in person. Key officials from various states and the ICAR participated in the program through video conferencing.

-PIB

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