Telangana Government To Introduce AI-Based Quality Check For Crops Soon

The Telangana Government’s IT department is set to introduce an AI-based quality assaying model to check the quality of crops brought to procurement centres across the State. 

The AI-based quality assaying model will be used to determine the grade, quality, moisture, and other parameters in paddy, red, and Bengal gram and will also deliver the report in just a minute. In addition, it will be used for other crops, including fruits and vegetables.

The model will ensure that farmers are not at the mercy of selection officers at procurement centres in finalising the grade and quality of grains. The TSTS-ITE&C department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad-based Nebulaa Innovations Private Limited. The solution will be very helpful to farmers, civil supplies, and agriculture departments at the procurement centres.

Under the existing process, the selection officers take a handful of grains and rub them in their hands to decide the moisture content in grains, their colour and size. The official said that conventional quality testing methods lead to disputes as it is done manually, adding that the AI-based quality assaying model would be faster and more objective in classifying grades and other parameters.

Under this model, a few grain samples will be placed in a tray of the AI-based machine, which captures 360 degrees images of the grains. Then, based on the algorithm in the system, it identifies the type of grains (paddy, Red gram or Bengal Gram), colour, moisture content, size, immature, shrunk or shrivelled grains, presence of foreign matter (organic or inorganic), the official explained.

When a farmer gets his stocks to the procurement centre, a lot is issued to his stocks. Officials can take four to five samples and assign unique numbers to each sample to avoid any duplication.

From the farmers’ perspective, this report can also help alter farming practices. For example, the report gives a detailed analysis of chemical content in the samples and based on this; the farmer can change the use of fertilisers or the crop pattern to get better yields, the official said.

Officials have already presented a demonstration to Markfed authorities in the city recently, and their response was encouraging. The official said that an AI-based system is presently used in Haryana and Rajasthan.