Lok Sabha Question No. 5387 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Digital Agriculture Mission
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Jaskaur Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5387

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 05 TH  APRIL, 2022

## DIGITAL AGRICULTURE MISSION

5387.  SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a)  The salient features of the Digital Agriculture Mission;
- (b)  The details of the estimated amount for the said Mission;
- (c)  The details of the target fixed for the said mission;
- (d)  The number of States covered under this Mission;
- (e)  Whether the Government has signed any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard; and
- (f) If so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  to (f):  Digital  Agriculture  Mission  is  yet  to  be  finalized.  However,  following activities/initiatives are being taken under Digital Agriculture:
- i. The Department has constituted a High Level Task Force, which is in the process  of  finalizing  'India  Digital  Ecosystem  of  Agriculture  (IDEA)  report. Task  Force invited  comments  from  subject experts,  farmers,  Farmer Producer  Organizations  (FPOs)  and  general  public  and  considered  them. Based on this, the Department is in the process of finalizing a framework for creating Agristack in the country, which will serve as a foundation to build innovative agri-focused solutions leveraging digital technologies to contribute effectively towards increasing the income of farmers and improve efficiency  of  the  Agriculture  sector  in  the  country.  Once  finalized,  this  can

O.I.H.

serve as a foundation to build innovative agri-focused solutions leveraging technologies  to  contribute  effectively  towards  increasing  the  income  of farmers  and  improve  farm  efficiency/efficiency  of  the  Agriculture  sector  in the country.

In  this  regard,  leading  Technology/Agri-tech/Start-Ups  companies  were identified  and  invited  to  collaborate  with  the  Government  of  India  and develop Proof of Concepts (PoC) based on data of select Districts/ Villages. A public call through the Department's website was issued inviting proposals for Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Companies were invited to sign MoU on purely pro bono basis and develop the PoCs. These PoCs will help in understanding the uses of Agristack and service & solutions that can be built  using  available  data  and  some  of  them,  if  found  beneficial  to  the farmers will be scaled up at National level. In this regard, the Government has signed MoU with leading Technology/Agri-tech Players & Start-ups for working on Proof of Concepts (PoCs) in the select Districts/Villages.

- ii. Under  National  e-Governance  Plan  in  Agriculture  guideline,  funds  are released  to  the  States/Union  Territories  for  the  projects  involving  use  of modern  information  technologies  such  as  such  as  Artificial  Intelligence  & Machine  Learning,  Block  Chain  Technology,  Internet  of  Things,  Robotics etc.,  and  for  customization/shifting  of  web  &  mobile  applications  already developed  by  the  States,  to  the  platform  to  be  developed  using  digital technologies.
- iii. Various mobile applications including KisanSuvidha have also been developed to facilitate dissemination of information to farmers on the critical parameters  viz.,  Weather,  Market  Prices,  Plant  Protection,  Agro-advisory, Extreme Weather Alerts, Input Dealers ( of Seed, Pesticide, Fertilizer, Farm Machinery), Soil Health Card, Cold Storage & Godowns, Soil Testing Laboratories  and  Veterinary  Centre  &  Diagnostic  labs,  Crop  Insurance Premium Calculator and the Government schemes.

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