The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) has urged states to expedite the issuance of digital Farmer IDs, known as ‘Kisan Pehchaan Patra.’
About Farmer ID or ‘Kisan Pehchaan Patra’
- Objective: A digital identity card for farmers to digitise their agricultural information and enhance access to government schemes.
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Digital Agriculture Mission
- The term digital agriculture refers to the use of computers and other electronic devices in farming and other agricultural endeavors.
- Digital agriculture enables farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture value chain to increase food production using advanced technologies incorporated into a single system.
- The Central Government approved the ‘Digital Agriculture Mission’ with a substantial financial outlay of Rs. 2,817 Crore, including a central government share of Rs. 1,940 Crore, on September 2, 2024.
- The Digital Agriculture Mission is designed as an umbrella scheme to support various digital agriculture initiatives.
- These include creating Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), implementing the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and supporting IT initiatives by the Central Government, State Governments, and Academic and Research Institutions.
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- Details included:
- Land ownership data.
- Livestock details.Crop patterns and types of crops cultivated.
- Village land maps.
- The Farmer ID integrates with Aadhaar and state land records, forming the core of the Farmers’ Registry under the ‘Agri Stack’ initiative.
- Agri Stack is a digital infrastructure initiative by the government aimed at uniting various stakeholders to enhance the agricultural sector in India.
- It leverages data and digital services to achieve improved outcomes and benefits for farmers.
- The initiative is part of the Centre’s Digital Agriculture Mission.
Benefits for Farmers
- Access to facilities like Crop insurance and loans along with information on village land maps and crop data.
- A step toward digitising agricultural operations for better monitoring and support.
- Budget Allocation: Total project cost of ₹2,817 crore with central government contribution of ₹1,940 crore.
- Special Assistance Scheme: ₹5,000 crore allocated by the Finance Ministry in August 2024 for creating the Farmers’ Registry.
- Timeline for Access: Funds available to states until March 2025 under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25.
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- Government Targets: Digital identities to be created for 11 crore farmers in phases:
- FY2024-25: 6 crore farmers.
FY2025-26: 3 crore farmers.- FY2026-27: 2 crore farmers.
Implementation Strategy
- Camp-Mode Approach: States to organise camps for rapid and inclusive farmer registration.
- Incentives for States:
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- ₹15,000 per camp at the field level.
- ₹10 per Farmer ID generated.
- Funding sourced from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme.
- Progress Across States: Leading states in issuance of Digital Farmer ID Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
- States like Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha are still in the field-testing phase.
Additional Reading: Digital Agriculture Mission
2 Dec 2024
