In a significant move towards modernizing agriculture, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture in the Union Budget 2024. This initiative aims to transform agricultural practices and enhance farmer support through digital means.
A Vision for Digital Agriculture
The DPI will cover farmer details and land data across the country within the next three years. Sitharaman highlighted the success of the DPI pilot project, noting its positive outcomes and the government’s plans to expand it in collaboration with state governments.
Key Highlights of DPI Implementation:
Digital Crop Survey: A digital crop survey for the ongoing Kharif season will be conducted in 400 districts.
Farmer and Land Registries: The initiative will create comprehensive registries for 6 crore farmers and their lands.
Components of DPI
The DPI for agriculture consists of three main components:
AgriStack: This includes foundational registries such as:
. Farmers’ Registry: A unique ID for farmers linked to land records
. Crops Sown Registry: Based on a digital survey of crops sown
. Geo-Referenced Maps: Detailed maps of villages.
Pilots for these registries have already been launched in districts in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The aim is to enroll 6 crore farmers by the end of this financial year, with additional enrollment targets in the following years.
Krishi-DSS (Decision Support System): This system will provide customized advisory services for crop planning and management based on the data collected.
Soil Profile Maps: These will offer insights into soil conditions to aid in better farming practices.
Impact and Future Goals
Sitharaman’s announcement underscores the transformative potential of DPI in agriculture:
Enhanced Access to Services: Farmers will benefit from easy access to government schemes like MSP-based procurement, crop insurance, and loans.
Customized Advisory: Farmers will receive tailored advice based on their specific conditions.
Overhauling Estimation Systems: The digital crop survey will improve the accuracy of crop area and production estimates.
Additional Budget Announcements
In addition to DPI, the Budget 2024 includes several other initiatives for the agricultural sector:
Kisan Credit Cards: Enabled issuance in five states through the Jan Samarth platform.
Namo Drone Didi Scheme: ₹500 crore allocated to provide drones to 15,000 women’s self-help groups.
National Cooperation Policy: A new policy for the development of the cooperative sector.
Shrimp Farming Support: Financial aid for shrimp breeding, farming, and export through NABARD.
Natural Farming: Support for 1 crore farmers in natural farming practices, including new bio-input centers and crop varieties.
Conclusion
The DPI initiative marks a major step towards modernizing Indian agriculture, aiming to make farming more efficient and data-driven. With substantial investments and support mechanisms, the government is setting the stage for a more informed and technologically advanced agricultural sector, ultimately benefiting millions of farmers across the country.
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