- Launch and Objectives:
- The Union Cabinet approved the Digital Agriculture Mission with a budget of ₹2,817 crore to modernize the agriculture sector using Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). It aligns with the Union Budget announcements for FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25.
- Key Features:
- The mission focuses on two pillars: Agri Stack (includes Farmer IDs, geo-referenced village maps, and a Crop Sown Registry) and the Krishi Decision Support System (DSS) for comprehensive data integration on soil, crops, weather, and water resources.
- Targets include creating digital identities for 11 crore farmers over three years and launching a nationwide Digital Crop Survey covering all districts by FY 2025-26.
- Significance of Digital Agriculture:
- Digital agriculture promotes precision farming and smart farming to optimize resource use, improve farm management, and enhance sustainability. Technologies include drones, remote monitoring, and big data analytics.
- Benefits for Farmers:
- Aims to provide farmers with access to real-time data, accurate crop yield estimates, better disaster management, and streamlined access to government schemes like crop insurance and credit.
- Expected to generate employment for approximately 2.5 lakh local youth and Krishi Sakhis by creating new roles in digital agriculture services.
- Challenges:
- Implementation faces hurdles such as fragmented landholdings, high initial costs, insufficient digital infrastructure, low digital literacy among farmers, and language barriers in accessing technology.
- Government Initiatives to Support Digital Agriculture:
- Frameworks like the India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA), National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A), and digital platforms like e-NAM and PM-KISAN Mobile App support the mission’s objectives.
- Conclusion:
- The Digital Agriculture Mission is crucial for transforming Indian agriculture, but it requires robust R&D, policy support, and focus on affordability and accessibility to maximize its impact on farmers’ livelihoods
