Lok Sabha Question No. 1669 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: Outcome of Digital Agriculture Initiatives
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Rao Rajendra Singh, Shri Jashubhai Bhilubhai Rathva, Shri Shashank Mani, Smt. Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, Dr. Sambit Patra

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1669

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  FEBRAURY, 2026

## OUTCOME OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES

1669.  DR. SAMBIT PATRA:

SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM:

SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA:

SHRI RAO RAJENDRA SINGH:

SHRI SHASHANK MANI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has evaluated the outcomes of digital agriculture initiatives undertaken  or  continued  in  2025,  including AgriStack,  Digital  Crop  Survey,  Namo Drone Didi Scheme, Kisan e-Mitra and others;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, including farmer coverage, integration with land records and improvements in access to credit, insurance and real-time advisory services;
- (c) whether the Government has assessed the impact of these initiatives on productivity, income levels and market linkages for farmers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof, including State-wise coverage and measurable outcomes?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a) to (d): Yes  Sir,  the  Government  consistently  evaluates  the  outcomes  of  digital agriculture initiatives undertaken or continued during 2025. Some of the major initiatives are as under:
- I.  AgriStack: The AgriStack is a Digital Public Infrastructure  (DPI)  which  consists  of three foundational registries or databases associated with the agriculture sector, i.e., the Farmers Registry, Geo-Referenced Village Maps, and Crop Sown Registry, all created and maintained by the State Governments/ Union Territories. It establishes a single source of truth for farmer identity, land, and their crops.

Farmer  ID  enables  seamless  integration  of  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT) schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PM Kisan), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), Minimum Support Price (MSP) based procurement, access to credit delivery, input distribution, and disaster relief. As of 04.02.2026,  more  than  8.48  Crore  Farmer  IDs  have  been  generated  across  the country.

Digital  Crop  Survey  has  enabled  plot-level  visibility  of  crops  and  better estimation of sowing patterns across seasons, which in turn supports evidence-based planning for procurement, input supply and logistics. In Kharif 2025, the Digital Crop Survey (DCS) has been conducted in 604 Districts covering more than 28.5 crores plots across the country.

Maharashtra has successfully leveraged AgriStack for scheme delivery, disaster relief, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based advisory, and providing credit access, including the transfer  of over ₹14,000 crore to 89 lakh farmers for Kharif 2025 crop losses. Chhattisgarh has institutionalized Farmer ID and Digital Crop Survey for MSP-based paddy procurement, covering over 32 lakh farmers in a single season, significantly improving transparency, crop verification, and timeliness of MSP payments.

- II.  Krishi  Decision  Support  System:  Krishi  Decision  Support  System  is  a  geo-spatial platform  that  integrates  satellite  imagery,  weather,  soil,  and  crop  data  using Geographic Information System (GIS) to support agricultural planning and decisionmaking.  This  acts  as  an  analytical  platform  (web-portal)  for  developing  targeted advisories on crop, weather and soil.
- III.  Kisan  e-Mitra: It is a voice-based  Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered  chatbot developed to assist farmers with responses to their queries on the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This solution supports 11 regional languages and is evolving to assist with other government programs. At present, it handles over 8,000 farmer queries on an average daily and so far, more than 95 lakh queries have been answered.
- IV.  National  Pest  Surveillance  System:  The  National  Pest  Surveillance  System,  for tackling the loss of produce due to climate change, utilizes AI and Machine Learning to  detect  pest  infestation  in  crop  issues,  enabling  timely  intervention  for  healthier crops. This tool, currently used by over 10,000 extension workers, allows farmers to capture images of pests to help them mitigate pest attacks and reduce crop losses. At present, it supports 65 crops and over 400 pests.
- V.  Namo Drone Didi: The Government has approved 'Namo Drone Didi' a Central Sector Scheme for providing 15,000 drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay  of  Rs.  1261  Crores  for  the  period  from  2023-24  to  2025-26.  The  major objectives  of  the  scheme  are  to  promote  advanced  technology  in  agriculture  for improved efficiency, enhanced crop yield & reduced cost of operation and to empower SHGs as drone service providers for increasing their income and providing livelihood support. Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs) have distributed 500 drones under the Namo  Drone  Didi  Scheme.  Agricultural  Development  and  Rural  Transformation Centre (ADRTC), Bangalore have carried out a study on the economics and business viability  of  drone  operations  on  these  500  drones.  The  study  indicates  that  the adoption of drones has diversified SHG activities, improved agricultural practices, and increased income opportunities for women in rural communities.
- VI.  Seed  Authenticity  Traceability  &  Holistic  Inventory  (SATHI):  It  provides  a  digital platform  that  streamlines  the  holistic  management  of  seed  production,  quality certification,  distribution,  and  traceability  pan-India.  This  endeavor  establishes  a National Seed Grid (NSG), integrating all seed stakeholders within a unified national digital platform.

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