THE CONTEXT: The Digital Agriculture Mission, recently approved by the Union Cabinet, seeks to revolutionize India’s agricultural landscape by creating Digital Public Infrastructure. With a substantial budget of Rs 2,817 crore, this mission aims to enhance efficiency and accessibility for farmers nationwide.
KEY COMPONENTS OF THE DIGITAL AGRICULTURE MISSION
The mission is built around three major components:
Agri Stack: This includes three foundational agri-sector registries:
- Farmers’ Registry: This registry provides farmers with a digital identity (Farmer ID) linked to their land, crops, and other relevant data, enabling more accessible access to services and benefits.
- Crop Sown Registry: Records details of crops planted by farmers using digital surveys.
- Geo-referenced Village Maps: Links geographic information with physical land records to improve land management and planning.
Krishi Decision Support System (DSS): A geospatial system integrating remote sensing data on crops, soil, weather, and water resources. It aids crop monitoring and drought/flood assessment and supports crop insurance and resource management decision-making.
Soil Profile Maps: Detailed mapping of soil properties across agricultural lands to support precision farming and optimize fertilizer use.
Additionally, the mission includes the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), which aims to improve the accuracy of crop yield estimates through scientifically designed surveys and remote sensing data.
IMPACT ON FARMERS AND THE FARM SECTOR
The Digital Agriculture Mission is expected to have a transformative impact on the agricultural sector:
- Enhanced Access to Services: By providing digital identities and integrating various data points, farmers can access government schemes and services more efficiently, reducing paperwork and the need for physical office visits.
- Improved Decision-Making: Comprehensive data on weather, soil, and crop conditions help farmers make more informed decisions, leading to better crop management and yield outcomes.
- Increased Transparency and Efficiency: Digital tools will streamline processes such as crop insurance claims and MSP-based procurement, making them more transparent and efficient.
- Support for Agri-Tech Startups: The mission aims to nurture startups by leveraging technological advancements, which could lead to innovative solutions and job creation in the sector.
THE ISSUES:
- Lacking Digital literacy: Many farmers in India may lack the necessary digital skills to use and benefit from the DPI tools and platforms.
- Infrastructure limitations: Inadequate internet connectivity and electricity supply in rural areas could hinder the adoption and effectiveness of digital agriculture solutions.
- Data privacy and security: Farmers may have concerns about the privacy and security of their agricultural data when using digital platforms, leading to hesitancy in adoption.
- Affordability: The high costs associated with smartphones, data plans, and digital equipment can be a barrier for small-scale and marginalized farmers.
- Language and regional diversity: It can be challenging to create digital solutions that cater to India’s diverse population, which speaks multiple languages and follows different regional practices.
- Resistance to change: Traditional farming practices may be deeply ingrained, making it difficult to convince farmers to embrace new digital technologies.
- Data reliability and accuracy: Digital tools for weather forecasts, crop management, and market information must be highly reliable and accurate for farmers to trust and use.
- Lack of customization: One-size-fits-all digital solutions may not work well for the diverse agricultural practices across different regions and crops in India. Many states may already have their digital agriculture programs. Integrating these with the central mission could lead to conflicts.
THE WAY FORWARD:
- Integrating Traditional Knowledge with Digital Solutions: Incorporate local and traditional farming knowledge into digital platforms. The IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) initiative combines traditional knowledge with modern technology by providing voice-based agricultural advisory services to farmers.
- Enhancing Extension Services through Digital Means: Train agricultural extension workers in digital technologies to better support farmers. Extension workers can act as intermediaries, helping farmers adopt and use digital tools effectively. The e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) has trained over 200,000 farmers and traders in using the digital platform for agricultural trading.
- Developing User-Friendly Interfaces: Create intuitive, easy-to-use digital tools that cater to varying levels of digital literacy. The Kisan Suvidha app, developed by the Indian government, provides a simple interface for farmers to access weather forecasts, market prices, and plant protection information.
- Addressing Affordability Issues: Provide subsidies or low-cost financing options for digital tools and devices. The Indian government’s PM-KISAN scheme, which provides direct income support to farmers, could be expanded to include subsidies for digital devices or data plans specifically for agricultural use.
- Enhancing Infrastructure and Connectivity: Invest in rural broadband and mobile connectivity infrastructure. Poor internet connectivity in rural areas is a significant barrier to digital adoption. As of 2021, only 32% of rural India had internet access. The BharatNet project aims to connect broadband to all 250,000 Gram Panchayats in India. As of 2021, it had connected over 156,000 Gram Panchayats, significantly improving rural connectivity.
- Addressing Data Privacy and Security Concerns: Implement robust data protection policies and educate farmers about data rights. The proposed Personal Data Protection Bill in India could be tailored to include specific provisions for agricultural data protection.
THE CONCLUSION:
By integrating cutting-edge technology into agriculture, the Digital Agriculture Mission promises to transform the sector, offering farmers improved access to services and data-driven decision-making tools. This initiative marks a significant step towards India’s more sustainable and resilient agricultural future.
UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTIONS:
Q.1 How does e-technology help farmers in the production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. 2023
Q.2 How can the ‘Digital India’ program help farmers to improve farm productivity and income? What steps has the Government taken in this regard? 2015
MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q.1 “The Digital Agriculture Mission has the potential to revolutionize India’s agricultural sector, but its success hinges on addressing key challenges in implementation.” Critically examine.
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