The Union Cabinet Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Digital Agriculture Mission with an outlay of Rs. 2817 crore, including a central share of Rs. 1940 crore. This mission aims to advance digital agriculture through various initiatives.
Objectives of the Digital Agriculture Mission
The mission is designed as an umbrella scheme to support several digital agriculture initiatives:
- Digital Public Infrastructure: Building infrastructure to support digital agriculture.
- Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES): Implementing surveys to estimate crop yields.
- IT Initiatives: Enhancing IT capabilities through collaboration among Central and State Governments, as well as academic and research institutions.
Context and Importance
India’s digital revolution has significantly transformed governance and service delivery across sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, and retail. The government aims to replicate this transformation in the agriculture sector by enhancing the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture. Announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 and further augmented in the Budget 2024-25, the DPI for Agriculture aims to provide comprehensive and useful data on farmers, including demographic details, land holdings, and crops sown.
Key Components of the Mission
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- AgriStack: A federated structure providing farmer-centric services. Includes:
- Farmers’ Registry
- Geo-referenced Village Maps
- Crop Sown Registry
- Krishi Decision Support System: A comprehensive geospatial system for integrating data on crops, soil, weather, and water resources.
- Soil Profile Mapping: Detailed mapping of soil profiles at a 1:10,000 scale, covering approximately 142 million hectares of agricultural land.
- AgriStack: A federated structure providing farmer-centric services. Includes:
- Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES)
- Provides scientifically designed crop yield estimates, aiding accurate agricultural production estimates.
Implementation and Pilots
- Farmer IDs: Pilots in six states (Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu) aim to create digital identities for 11 crore farmers over three fiscal years.
- Digital Crop Survey: Pilots conducted in 11 states with plans to cover 400 districts in FY 2024-25 and all districts by FY 2025-26.
- Soil Profile Mapping: Inventory of 29 million hectares completed; further mapping planned.
Expected Outcomes
- Employment: The mission is expected to generate both direct and indirect employment, including opportunities for about 2.5 lakh trained local youth and Krishi Sakhis.
- Farmer Benefits: Digital solutions will streamline access to benefits and services, reduce paperwork, and improve transparency.
- Efficiency and Transparency: The use of digital technologies will enhance service delivery mechanisms, making them more efficient and transparent.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- What is the total outlay approved for the Digital Agriculture Mission?
- A) Rs. 1940 crore
- B) Rs. 2817 crore
- C) Rs. 2000 crore
- D) Rs. 2500 crore
- Which component of the Digital Agriculture Mission aims to provide a farmer-centric digital identity?
- A) Krishi Decision Support System
- B) Soil Profile Mapping
- C) AgriStack
- D) Digital General Crop Estimation Survey
- What is the primary purpose of the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES)?
- A) To provide financial support to farmers
- B) To estimate crop yields based on scientific experiments
- C) To map soil profiles
- D) To create digital identities for farmers
- How many states have signed MoUs with the Ministry of Agriculture for the Digital Agriculture Mission so far?
- A) 10
- B) 15
- C) 19
- D) 25
- What is the targeted number of farmers to receive digital identities by FY 2026-27?
- A) 6 crore
- B) 8 crore
- C) 11 crore
- D) 15 crore