India Post and the Agriculture Ministry have signed an MoU to deliver farm samples nationwide within 72 hours.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Department of Posts have formalised a partnership to create a nationwide logistics network. This initiative is designed to transport pesticide, seed, and fertiliser samples to specialised laboratories across the country.
The agreement was signed in the presence of the Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, and the Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
During the event, the Union Minister of Communications noted that the postal service has evolved into an extensive distribution network. With more than 160,000 post offices, nearly 140,000 of which serve rural areas, the department is vital for national connectivity. He highlighted the organisation’s capacity to manage massive volumes, including hundreds of thousands of daily parcel deliveries.
This collaboration is a key component of a digital management system for agricultural quality being developed by the Centre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance. The project focuses on enhancing transparency and ensuring that agricultural inputs are tested promptly through a tech-driven workflow.
Under this arrangement, the postal service will provide comprehensive logistics to ensure the secure and traceable movement of samples. By utilising its vast reach, particularly in remote regions, the department will offer reliable transport for materials collected by inspectors.
The service package includes dedicated collection points, specialised handling for sensitive materials, and digital tracking via QR codes to maintain confidentiality. Furthermore, digital monitoring will be employed for samples requiring specific temperature controls during transit.
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare remarked that counterfeit or inferior agricultural products cause significant hardship for the farming community. He stated that this partnership will help protect farmers by accelerating the testing process. By cutting transport times to laboratories, the government aims to strengthen regulation and remove fraudulent products from the market.
He added that enhanced logistics would reduce delivery times from over a week to between 48 and 72 hours. This efficiency allows for faster corrective measures and increases public trust in the quality of agricultural supplies.
This joint effort underscores the government’s commitment to inter-departmental cooperation. By using the national postal infrastructure to support agricultural oversight, the initiative aims to safeguard the sector from the economic impact of substandard inputs.
SOURCE – PIB
