Lok Sabha Question No. 3802 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-12
Subject: Digital Agriculture Mission
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Anil Firojiya

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3802

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## DIGITAL AGRICULTURE MISSION

3802. SHRI ANIL FIROJIYA:

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

(a) whether  the  unavailability of real-time data  related to agriculture sector or discrepancies  in  inter-departmental  data  create  obstacles  in  policy  formulation  and implementation of targeted schemes; (b) if so, the specific measures being taken to ensure data integration and transparency under programmes like 'Digital Agriculture Mission'; (c) whether the Government is aware that there is a need to reconsider the incentive policy for conventional irrigation-based crops (like paddy and sugarcane) keeping in view the current scenario of declining groundwater level and irrigation crisis; and (d) if  so,  the  concrete  measures  being  taken  to  promote  micro  irrigation,  crop

- diversification and water-sensitive agricultural practices?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) & (b): The Government has approved the Digital Agriculture Mission in September 2024.  The  Mission  envisages  the  creation  of  a  Digital  Public  Infrastructure  (DPI)  for Agriculture, such as AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (KDSS), and a comprehensive Soil Fertility & Profile Map to enable a robust digital agriculture ecosystem in the country. This, in turn, would drive innovative farmer-centric digital solutions and make reliable crop-related information available to all farmers on time. The AgriStack DPI consists of  three  foundational  registries  or  databases  associated  with  the  agriculture  sector,  i.e., Geo-Referenced Village Maps, Crop Sown Registry and the Farmers Registry, all created and maintained by the State Governments/ Union Territories.

Farmer Registry provides comprehensive and useful data on farmers' demographic details, land holdings, and crops sown, enabling farmers to digitally identify and authenticate them for accessing benefits and services such as credit, insurance, procurement etc. It also enables state to design solutions that open access for farmers to the digital economy such as Purchase and Sell of Inputs and Produce online in a trustful manner.  Digital  Crop  Survey  (DCS)  System  provides  accurate,  real-time  crop  area information for every agricultural plot.

Krishi-DSS integrates and standardizes geospatial and non-geospatial data, including  satellite,  weather,  soil,  crop  signatures,  reservoir,  and  groundwater  data,  along with government scheme information. Krishi-DSS offers crop maps, soil maps, automated yield  estimation  models,  drought/flood  monitoring  systems,  etc,  which  support  evidencebased decision-making by the government and facilitate innovative solutions  by  research institutions and the agritech industry.

Further, a nationwide Soil Resource Mapping project has been initiated by the Soil and  Land  Use  Survey  of  India  (SLUSI),  which  is  inventorying  soils  at  a  village  level  at 1:10,000 scale using high-resolution satellite and ground data to standardized soil maps for rational land use and crop planning to promote sustainable agriculture.

(c) & (d): Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) in the Country from 2015-16. PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation, namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. The Micro Irrigation helps in water saving as well as reducing fertilizer usage through fertigation, labour expenses, other input costs and overall income enhancement of farmers.

The Government provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and  @  45%  for  other  farmers  for  installation  of  Drip  and  Sprinkler  systems  under  the PDMC. Besides State Government, also provide Top-up subsidy to farmers from their State Budget. The Assistance for installation of Micro Irrigation systems is limited to 5 hectares per beneficiary.

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