Union Agriculture Ministry Allocates ₹6,000 Crore to Bolster Agri Stack Under Digital Agriculture Mission

New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) unveiled a transformative ₹6,000 crore investment to fortify the Agri Stack initiative under the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) during the National Conference on Agri Stack: Turning Data into Delivery, held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. This landmark announcement underscores the government’s commitment to revolutionizing India’s agricultural sector through cutting-edge digital infrastructure, empowering farmers with seamless access to services and fostering data-driven governance.

Overview of the ₹6,000 Crore Allocation

The ₹6,000 crore funding is strategically divided to address critical components of Agri Stack:

• ₹4,000 crore is earmarked for the development of Farmer Registries, including robust legal heir systems to ensure accurate farmer identification and seamless scheme delivery.
• ₹2,000 crore is allocated for conducting Digital Crop Surveys, aimed at collecting reliable crop-sown data through mobile interfaces to replace traditional survey methods.

These funds will be disbursed on a first-come-first-served basis, incentivizing states to expedite the adoption of digital tools. Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary (Agriculture), emphasized the urgency of linking state Farmer Registries with updated Records of Rights (RoR) to enhance the delivery of flagship schemes such as PM-KISAN, PMFBY, and Kisan Credit Card (KCC).

Digital Agriculture Mission: A Vision for Farmer-Centric Solutions

Launched in 2024, the Digital Agriculture Mission aims to create a robust digital ecosystem tailored to farmers’ needs. The mission focuses on delivering timely and reliable crop-related information and establishing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture. Key components include:

• Agri Stack: A digital public good modeled after Aadhaar, featuring a federated architecture to foster collaboration between central and state governments.
• Krishi Decision Support System: Launched in 2024, it integrates geospatial and non-geospatial data, including satellite imagery, weather, and soil profiles.
• Comprehensive Soil Fertility & Profile Map: A nationwide initiative to provide detailed soil data for precision agriculture.
• Nationwide Soil Resource Mapping Project: Led by the Soil and Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI), this project inventories soils at the village level.
• Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES): An automated system to streamline the General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES) process.

Agri Stack: The Backbone of Digital Agriculture

Agri Stack is designed as a digital public good with a federated architecture, ensuring seamless collaboration between central and state governments. It comprises several registries and databases:

• Farmers’ Registry: Managed by states and Union Territories, it provides comprehensive farmer data integrated with schemes like PM-KISAN, PMFBY, and KCC.
• Geo-referenced Village Maps: Enable digital crop surveys, facilitating trustful ground-truth data collection and mapping at the land parcel level.
• Crop Sown Registry: Established through Digital Crop Surveys (DCS), it collects crop-sown details via mobile interfaces, replacing outdated manual methods.

Shri Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary (Digital), MoA&FW, provided an in-depth overview of Agri Stack, highlighting its integration with flagship schemes and the importance of georeferencing, data quality assurance, and compliance with Unified Farmer Service Interface (UFSI) standards.

Key Highlights of the National Conference

The conference served as a strategic platform for senior officials, state representatives, and stakeholders to discuss Agri Stack’s progress, challenges, and roadmap. Major highlights included:

Signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)

MoUs were signed with Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, Odisha, and the PSB Alliance with the National Farmers’ Welfare Program Implementation Society (NFWPIS). These agreements aim to enhance digital access to credit services through Farmer Registry-linked authentication, reducing paperwork and benefiting small and marginal farmers.

Launch of Special Central Assistance (SCA) Guidelines

The SCA Guidelines were unveiled by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Land Resources, Chief Knowledge Officer and Advisor (CKO&A), and Additional Secretary (MoA&FW). These guidelines outline the framework for disbursing the ₹6,000 crore allocation to support states in building digital infrastructure.

Introduction of Digitally Verifiable Credential (DVC)

Also known as Kisan Pehchan Patra, the DVC allows farmers to generate authenticated credentials for specific land parcels and crops. Integrated with DigiLocker, these credentials are dynamically revoked upon land mutation, ensuring data accuracy. The DVC empowers farmers to securely share land and crop information with authorized entities.

Unified Grievance Redressal Portal

A new portal was launched with OTP-based login, multilingual support, and audio upload features for resolving land-related disputes. Farmers can authorize representatives to access services or lodge grievances on their behalf.

AI-Powered Tools

The Ministry showcased an AI-powered chatbot, built using Google Gemini and trained on Agri Stack data, capable of answering queries in multiple languages. Additional AI tools are being piloted for:

• Assisting supervisors in crop identification.
• Performing facial authentication of surveyors.
• Optimizing backend code in collaboration with system integrators.

Technical Sessions: Addressing Challenges and Scaling Infrastructure

Technical sessions, led by the Chief Knowledge Officer and Advisor (CKO&A), focused on scaling state-level digital infrastructure and addressing data quality gaps. Key challenges discussed included:

• Outdated tribal land records.
• Errors in crop survey photos.
• Non-compliance with Digital Crop Survey standards.

Proposed solutions included leveraging remote sensing, AI/ML tools, and automated data validation mechanisms to enhance accuracy and efficiency. The sessions emphasized the need for states to adopt UFSI standards and improve data quality assurance.

Insights from States: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka

A dedicated session titled “Insights from States on Agri Stack Usage” featured presentations from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka:

• Maharashtra: Showcased its progress in enrolling farmers in the Farmers Registry and meeting SCA milestones. The state sought central support for a Data Provisioning Engine (DPE), enabling Farmer ID-based enrollment in MahaDBT, and an AI-driven advisory sandbox (Mahavistaar AI).
• Uttar Pradesh: Highlighted its integration of Agri Stack with MSP e-procurement for 2024 and shared field challenges in DCS implementation.
• Karnataka: Presented multi-layered innovations, including integrating the FRUITS platform with banking systems, using Agri Stack for disaster relief, and linking soil health cards for customized advisories.

Empowering Farmers Through Technology

The conference underscored the Ministry’s vision of transparent, farmer-centric governance. Shri Devesh Chaturvedi reiterated the need for states to dynamically link Farmer Registries with updated RoR and utilize digital datasets for personalized agricultural services. The Secretary, Department of Land Resources, highlighted the role of digital land records and Aadhaar seeding in addressing challenges like declining rural land value and income.

The introduction of farmer authorization systems and DVCs empowers farmers to control their data, enabling secure and selective sharing. The unified grievance redressal portal further enhances accessibility, allowing farmers to resolve disputes efficiently.

Open Dialogue and Future Roadmap

The conference concluded with an open dialogue moderated by Shri Pramod Kumar Meherda, inviting feedback from states and fostering peer learning. Shri Anindya Banerjee, Deputy Advisor, delivered the Vote of Thanks, commending the collaborative spirit and reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to supporting states in realizing inclusive, data-driven agricultural development.

Conclusion

The National Conference on Agri Stack marked a pivotal moment in India’s journey toward a digitally empowered agricultural sector. With a ₹6,000 crore allocation, innovative tools like DVCs, and strategic collaborations with states, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is poised to deliver transformative outcomes for millions of farmers. By leveraging AI, remote sensing, and robust digital infrastructure, Agri Stack promises to turn data into delivery, ensuring inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth.

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