In News:

Recently, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW) organised a National Workshop on the SATHI (Seed Authentication, Traceability, and Holistic Inventory) Portal in New Delhi.

Key Highlights:

Purpose & Focus

• SATHI Portal: Focuses on Seed Authentication, Traceability, and Holistic Inventory to enhance seed certification, improve seed traceability, and streamline the seed supply chain.
• Primary Objective: Ensure availability of high-quality seeds to farmers through a transparent and efficient seed management system.

Key Features of the SATHI Portal

• Seed Certification: Aims to streamline seed certification processes across states for faster and more accurate seed certifications.
• Seed Traceability: Enhances transparency and traceability of seeds to ensure quality and authenticity.
• Inventory Management: The portal facilitates seed inventory management, helping farmers and stakeholders access reliable and transparent seed information.
• Technological Integration: Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the portal incorporates technology-driven solutions to minimize transactional time for registrations, approvals, and certifications.

Phase-II Rollout

• Focus on seed inventory management, with the objective of offering farmers reliable access to certified seed varieties.
• It aims to integrate state-specific seed processes into the national framework for greater standardization and efficiency.

Workshops & Technical Sessions

• NIC and ICAR Presentations: Covered the core components of the SATHI Portal, including:
  • Seed Law Enforcement
  • DNA Fingerprinting for ensuring seed authenticity.
  • Seed Laboratory Processes to uphold quality control.
• Review of Phase-I: Discussions on achievements of Phase-I, focusing on improvements in seed certification processes across states.
• State Experiences: 10 state representatives shared insights on their experiences with the portal, discussing both benefits and challenges in the implementation phase.

Role of NIC & Technology

• The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is the technology partner behind the SATHI Portal, which is designed to enhance the efficiency of seed certification and inventory management.
• The portal contributes to larger digital initiatives like the Digital Agriculture Mission and Unified Farmer Service Platform (UFSP), which aim to support agricultural development through technology.