India’s digital revolution has reshaped various sectors such as finance, healthcare, and education through innovations like digital identities and secure transactions. Building on this success, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the ‘Digital Agriculture Mission’ with a budget of Rs. 2,817 Crore, including Rs. 1,940 Crore from the central government.
This mission aims to modernize agriculture through a comprehensive digital strategy, including the creation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), a Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and support for IT initiatives by various government and research bodies.
Core Components:
- AgriStack: A farmer-focused DPI featuring:
- Farmers’ Registry
- Geo-referenced village maps
- Crop Sown Registry A key feature is the ‘Farmer ID’, akin to an Aadhaar card, linking to essential data like land records and crop information. The goal is to issue IDs to 11 crore farmers over three years and to roll out the Digital Crop Survey nationwide.
- Krishi Decision Support System: Integrates remote sensing data on crops, soil, weather, and water into a unified geospatial system.
- Soil Profile Mapping: Detailed soil profiles for about 142 million hectares of farmland, with 29 million hectares already mapped.
The mission also includes the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey for accurate yield estimates, and aims to create 2,50,000 job opportunities for local youth and Krishi Sakhis.
Benefits:
- Digital Authentication: Simplifies access to services and benefits.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Improves transparency and accuracy in government schemes, crop insurance, and loans.
- Disaster Response: Facilitates better crop mapping and monitoring.
- Tailored Advisory Services: Offers personalized guidance on crop planning, health, pest management, and irrigation.
Broader Initiatives:
Alongside the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Union Cabinet approved six additional schemes totaling Rs 14,235.30 crore, including investments in Crop Science, Agricultural Education, Livestock Health, Horticulture, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and Natural Resource Management. These efforts aim to boost agricultural productivity, efficiency, and sustainability, solidifying India’s leadership in digital agriculture innovations.
