National Conference on Agri Stack Focuses on Data Utilization
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) hosted the National Conference on Agri Stack: Turning Data into Delivery today at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. This event brought together senior officials from both the central and state governments, along with key stakeholders, to discuss the advancements, challenges, and future strategies for implementing Agri Stack under the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM). The conference emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to enhance agricultural governance and improve services for farmers across India.
Commitment to Digital Agriculture
The conference commenced with a welcome address from Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of Agriculture. He underscored the government’s dedication to utilizing technology for transparent and farmer-centric governance. Chaturvedi highlighted the necessity for states to connect their Farmer Registries with updated Records of Rights (RoR). This integration is crucial for effectively delivering schemes and personalized agricultural services. The Secretary of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) also spoke about the significance of digital land records and Aadhaar seeding for accurate farmer identification. He pointed out the ongoing challenges, including the decline in land value and income in rural areas, which necessitate immediate attention.
Overview of Agri Stack Initiatives
Shri Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary (Digital) at MoA&FW, provided an in-depth overview of Agri Stack. He discussed the integration of the Farmer ID with key government schemes such as PM-KISAN, PMFBY, and KCC. Meherda emphasized the importance of georeferencing, ensuring data quality, and adhering to Unified Farmer Service Interface (UFSI) standards. The conference also introduced new services, including farmer authorization systems and Digitally Verifiable Certificates (DVCs). These innovations aim to empower farmers by allowing them to securely share their land and crop information.
A significant highlight of the conference was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, and Odisha. This collaboration aims to facilitate digital access to credit services through Farmer Registry-linked authentication, thereby reducing paperwork and benefiting small and marginal farmers. Additionally, the Special Central Assistance (SCA) Guidelines were launched, announcing a total allocation of ₹6,000 crore to support states in enhancing their agricultural infrastructure.
Technical Sessions and Innovations
Technical sessions led by the Chief Knowledge Officer and Advisor (CKO&A) focused on improving state-level digital infrastructure and addressing data quality gaps. Discussions included challenges such as outdated tribal land records and errors in crop survey photos. The sessions emphasized the use of remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning tools to enhance accuracy and efficiency in agricultural data management.
A dedicated session titled “Insights from States on Agri Stack Usage” featured presentations from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. Maharashtra highlighted its progress in enrolling farmers in the Farmers Registry and sought central support for establishing a Data Provisioning Engine (DPE). Uttar Pradesh shared its integration of Agri Stack with MSP e-procurement for 2024, while Karnataka showcased its innovative approaches, including linking soil health cards for tailored advisory services.
Future Directions and Closing Remarks
The conference also introduced the Digitally Verifiable Credential (DVC), known as the Kisan Pehchan Patra, which allows farmers to generate authenticated credentials for specific land parcels and crops. These DVCs are integrated with DigiLocker and can be dynamically revoked upon land mutation. Furthermore, a unified grievance redressal portal was launched, featuring OTP-based login and multilingual support for land-related disputes.
In addition, the Ministry showcased an AI-powered chatbot, developed using Google Gemini, capable of answering queries in multiple languages. Additional AI tools are being piloted to assist supervisors in crop identification and optimize backend processes.
The conference concluded with an open dialogue, encouraging feedback from states and fostering peer learning. Shri Anindya Banerjee, Deputy Advisor, delivered the Vote of Thanks, highlighting the collaborative spirit of the event and reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to supporting states in achieving inclusive, data-driven agricultural development.
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