Bhubaneswar, October 15, 2025 — The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) launched PaddyMitra, an innovative WhatsApp-based chatbot at a launch event in Krushi Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, to strengthen digital agricultural support for farmers in Odisha. The event saw participation from farmers, policymakers, researchers, and agri-tech partners.

A Digital Companion for Farmers

PaddyMitra serves as a complementary tool for agricultural extension staff, offering instant, reliable, and localized recommendations on nutrient management, weather-based advisories, and generic weed control. The chatbot enables farmers to seek advice conveniently using audio or text queries, receiving personalized recommendations within seconds.

The system bridges the gap between agricultural science and field-level decision-making, placing AI-driven technology directly in the hands of farmers.

Leadership Insights: Technology as the Great Equalizer

The event was graced by Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, and Dr. B.K. Mohapatra, Dean, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), who officially launched the chatbot.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Padhee emphasized the transformative role of technology in agriculture. “Technology is the greatest leveller, creating equilibrium among farmers. With tools like PaddyMitra, we move toward a future with minimal human intervention, 24/7 availability, and multilingual support. Such innovations can seamlessly integrate with existing systems like Krishi Samrudhi, enabling customized advisories, market intelligence, subsidy information, and scalable models for procurement and beyond.”

Dr. Mohapatra added that the chatbot will serve as a learning and operational resource. “PaddyMitra is a valuable tool for farmers, students, and extension staff alike. It demonstrates how machine learning and AI can support both learning and field-level decision-making. Our long-standing collaboration with IRRI continues to yield impactful solutions for Odisha’s agricultural community.”

Driving Digital Transformation in Agriculture

Dr. Shalini Gakhar, Data Scientist at IRRI, shared the vision behind PaddyMitra. “Under the CGIAR Initiative on Digital Transformation Accelerator, we aim to benefit food, land, and water systems using AI and digital innovations. PaddyMitra perfectly embodies this vision—placing cutting-edge technology directly in the hands of farmers.”

Farmers attending the event welcomed the chatbot enthusiastically. A participant from Puri district said, “The chatbot is easy to use and will be very helpful for farmers. It helps me know how much fertilizer to apply and when, based on my crop stage. Since it’s available on WhatsApp, which we already use, it’s very convenient and accessible.”

A Collaborative Effort

The launch witnessed diverse participation from across the agricultural ecosystem—including farmers, representatives from OUAT, NGOs, Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), private sector partners, and Common Service Centres (CSCs). The event symbolized a joint effort toward digitally empowered and sustainable agriculture in Odisha.