The central government has made a big decision that is expected to benefit farmers greatly. The government announced the launch of seven new schemes aimed at boosting farmers’ income. You can see this news under the title “Cabinet approves seven big decisions, including ₹14,000 crore for agriculture sector initiatives.” One of the major highlights is the creation of digital public infrastructure for farmers, including the introduction of a Farmer ID.
7 New Government Schemes to Support Digital Agriculture
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved seven new schemes worth ₹14,000 crore for the agriculture and allied sectors. These schemes will focus on areas like research and education, climate resilience, natural resource management, and digitization in the agriculture sector. This also includes benefits for the livestock and horticulture sectors. The main goal of these schemes is to prepare farmers for climate-resistant agriculture, as climate change is a significant issue today.
Out of seven schemes, the most important is the Digital Agriculture Mission that the government is bringing in with an allocation of ₹800 crore. This mission aims to make farmers’ lives easier, and I will explain its details in a bit. Other schemes include Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security with an allocation of ₹1,000 crore, Agricultural Education and Social Sciences with around ₹2,300 crore, Sustainable Livestock Health and Production with ₹1,700 crore, and Sustainable Horticulture Development with ₹860 crore. Additionally, ₹1,200 crore will be allocated for strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and ₹400 crore for Natural Resource Management.
About Digital Agriculture Mission
Now, let me talk about the Digital Agriculture Mission in detail. This mission is about creating Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the farm sector. Similar to how the government has created digital infrastructure like Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and UPI (Unified Payment Interface), this mission will create a similar infrastructure for farmers. The DPI will help farmers access government schemes and services easily from home.
The Digital Agriculture Mission has three major components: Agri Stack, Agricultural Decision Support System (DSS), and Soil Profile Maps. Let me explain each:
- Agri Stack: This will provide farmers with access to a range of services, including a Farmer ID. This digital ID will contain all the necessary details about a farmer, such as land ownership, crops grown, livestock, demographic and family details, and benefits from various government schemes. The government has already started pilot projects in six districts, and by 2024-25, 60 million farmers will be issued digital IDs, with a goal of covering 110-120 million farmers by 2027.
- Agricultural Decision Support System (DSS): This system will unify data related to crops, soil, weather, and water resources. By analyzing this data, the government will be able to better respond to natural disasters like floods and droughts. This will also make it easier for farmers to claim insurance in case of crop loss.
- Soil Profile Maps: These maps will provide detailed surveys of 142 million hectares of agricultural land to assess soil capacity and guide proper land use. So far, 29 million hectares have been mapped, with plans to complete the rest soon.
The government is also introducing a Digital General Crop Estimation Survey to get accurate figures of agricultural production in the country. This survey will ensure that the government has precise data on crop yields, helping in better decision-making and addressing the mismatch between supply and market prices.
In summary, the Digital Agriculture Mission is a comprehensive initiative to modernize agriculture in India. The government aims to roll out this scheme across the country by 2025-26. It is expected to significantly benefit farmers by providing them with easy access to government schemes, accurate crop data, and support for climate-resilient agriculture.
Also Read: Understanding the Kisan Credit Card Scheme
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