Andhra govt. to host international 'AP AgTech Summit'

To push technology-driven transformation in agriculture, Andhra Pradesh gears up to host international event AP AgTech Summit-2017 in Visakhapatnam from November 15 to 17.

This summit is being organised by Government of Andhra Pradesh in partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dalberg Advisors and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with an aim to bring cutting-edge technologies in the agriculture and allied sectors to support the small and marginal farmers in the state.

It will bring together over 1,500 global leaders including business heads, start-up founders, leading policymakers, progressive farmers, NGOs, agriculture and technology experts to discuss innovative ideas for agricultural transformation in Andhra Pradesh.

Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu will be the chief guest at the inaugural event and co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates will be the chief guest for the valedictory session.

Asserting his priority for reviving agriculture sector in the state, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu will be present on all three days of the summit.

"Agri-Hackathon initiative will be a great integration of Information Technology (IT) and Internet of Things (IoT) in the agriculture sector, bringing a greater agricultural output in the state. We have been adopting smart farming techniques in the past and with a will to improvise further, Agri-Hackathon will also give importance to horticulture, aquaculture and animal husbandry," said chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.

"Our government has successfully incorporated the cloud technology to fetch the real-time reports of soil testing and inform the farmer in real time. Integrating technology and agriculture is the core of our development model for Andhra Pradesh. As a government, we are encouraging start-ups and technology companies to bring innovation into agriculture sector to benefit the farmers. Not just technology, we have to bring knowledge and observe new developments in agricultural marketing," he concluded.

Andhra Pradesh has been a pioneering state in adopting and implementing latest technologies like data analytics, cloud technology, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence etc. in agriculture.

The state has also launched 'Plantix', a plant diagnostics app in collaboration with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) through which crop health can be identified.

The government is also partnering with reputed global institutions like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Economic Forum, World Food Prize and Iowa State University in adopting best practices and technologies being implemented in agriculture across the world.

AP AgTech Summit is a three-day global event being held in APIIC Ground, Harbour Park, Visakhapatnam.