Lok Sabha Question No. 2745 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-02
Subject: Digital Technology in Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Amar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2745

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  AUGUST, 2022

## DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

2745. DR. AMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state: (a) whether  the  Government  agrees  with  the  view  that  digital  technology  can  play  a transformational role in modernizing our agriculture; and (b) if so, the details of the initiatives taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to give a

- major push to digital agriculture in the country; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) The Committee on Doubling Farmers' Income (DFI) in its Report has appreciated the role of  Digital  Technology,  which  can  play  a  transformational  role  in  modernizing  and organizing  how  rural  India  performs  its  agricultural  activities.  Digital  technologies  are finding  increasing  use  in  the  agricultural  value  system,  and  farmers  are  increasingly becoming more informed, as various measures are taken to provide them ready access to technology and information.
- (b)  & (c): Government has taken various initiatives to give a push to digital agriculture in the country, which are given below:
- i. Government has finalized the core concept of India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA) framework which would lay down the architecture for the federated farmers' database. Further, the databases related to the schemes  governed  by the Department have been integrated. The IDEA would serve as a foundation to build innovative  agri-focused  solutions  leveraging  emerging  technologies  to  contribute

effectively  in  creating  a  better  Ecosystem  for  Agriculture  in  India.  This  Ecosystem shall  help  the  Government  in  effective  planning  towards  increasing  the  income  of farmers in particular and improving the efficiency of the Agriculture sector as a whole.

- ii. Under  plan  scheme  viz.  National  e-Governance  Plan  in  Agriculture  (NeGP-A) wherein, funds are released to the State(s)/UT(s) for project involving use of modern technologies viz. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine  Learning  (ML),  Robotics, Drones, Data Analytics, Block Chain etc.
- iii. Sub  Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization  (SMAM)  is  being  implemented  w.e.f April,2014.The scheme aims at 'reaching the unreached' by bringing to the small and marginal  farmers  in  the  core  and  giving  the  benefits  of  farm  mechanization,  by Promoting  'Custom  Hiring  Centers'  ,  creating  hubs  for  hi-tech  &  high  value  farm equipments,  distribution  of  various  agricultural  equipments,  creating  awareness among  stakeholders  through  demonstration  and  capacity  building  activities,  and ensuring performance- testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the country.
- iv. National  Agriculture  Market  (e-NAM)  is  a  pan-India  electronic  trading  portal  which networks  the  existing  Agricultural  Produce  Market  Committee  (APMC)  mandis  to create  a  unified  national  market  for  agricultural  commodities.  Digital  services  are provided  to  traders,  farmers,  Farmers  Producer  Organizations  (FPO),    Mandis through various modules of e-NAM  platform such as FPO  trading module, warehouse based trading module.
- v. Under PM KISAN Scheme, fund is directly transferred into the bank accounts of the eligible  farmers  under  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  mode.  Farmers  can  do  their  selfregistration  through  the  Farmers  Corner  in  the  portal.  PM-KISAN  Mobile  App  was launched to broaden the reach of the scheme where farmers can view the status of their  application,  update  or  carry  out  corrections  of  name  based  on  their  Aadhaar card and also check history of credits to their bank accounts.
- vi. Integrated  Scheme for  Agricultural  Marketing  schemes  (AGMARKNET)  to promote creation of agricultural marketing infrastructure by providing backend subsidy support to State, cooperative and private sector investments Services are provided through (AGMARKNET) portal which is a G2C e-governance portal that caters to the needs of  various  stakeholders  such  as  farmers,  industry,  policy  makers  and  academic institutions  by  providing  agricultural  marketing  related  information  from  a  single window. It facilitates web- based information flow, of the daily arrivals and prices of commodities in the agricultural produce markets spread across the country.
- vii. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF): To mobilize a medium - long term debt finances facility  for  investment  in  viable  projects for  post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through incentives and financial support in order to improve  agriculture  infrastructure  in  the  country.  Financial  assistance  is  provided digitally in the form of Interest Subvention and Credit Guarantee for setting up postharvest  management  Infrastructure  to  beneficiaries  such  as  Farmers,  Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHG), State Agencies/APMCs.
- viii. National  Mission  on  Horticulture:    It  Promotes  holistic  development  of  Horticulture sector (including bamboo & coconut) HORTNET project is a web enabled work flowbased  system  for  providing  financial  assistance  under  MIDH.  It  is  a  unique intervention  to  accomplish  e-Governance  in  NHM  where-in  total  transparency  has been  envisaged  in  all  the  processes  of  workflow  i.e.,  online  application  filing, authentication,  processing  and  online  payment  to  the  beneficiary's  bank  account through DBT.
- ix. National Project on Soil Health and Fertility: To issue soil health cards to farmers of the country, so as to provide a basis to address nutrient deficiencies in fertilization practices. Soil Health Card Portal is availablewhere farmers can track soil samples.
- x. Development  of  Kisan  Suvidha  mobile  application  to  facilitate  dissemination  of information to farmers on the critical parameters viz., Weather; Market Prices; Plant Protection;  input  Dealers  (Seed,  Pesticide,  Fertilizer)  Farm  Machinery;  Soil  Health Card;  Cold  Storages  &  Godowns,  Veterinary  Centres  and  Diagnostic  Labs.  With market  information,  farmers  are  better  informed  about  markets  to  sell  produce, prevailing market prices and quantity demanded in the market. Thus, they can make informed decisions to sell produce at the right price and right time.
- xi. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has also compiled more than 100 mobile  apps  developed  by  ICAR,  State  Agricultural  Universities  and  Krishi  Vigyan Kendras and uploaded on its website. These mobile apps developed in the areas of crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries, natural resources management  and  integrated  subjects,  offer  valuable  information  to  the  farmers, including  package  of  practices,  market  prices  of  various  commodities,  weather related information, advisory services, etc.
- xii. Government is providing  advisories  services  on  various  crop  related  matter  to  the registered farmers through SMSs.