Lok Sabha Question No. 1534 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Web and App Service for Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PARASURAMAN K., ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, R. VANAROJA

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1534

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH   JULY, 2016

## WEB AND APP SERVICE FOR FARMERS

1534.      SHRI K. PARASURAMAN: SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR: SHRIMATI VANAROJA R.:

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

- (a) whether the Government has launched several mobile apps and web portals to provide information  to  the  farmers  on  various  agricultural  related  activities  including  those  related  to agrometeorology, market conditions and farming techniques in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of farmers who have been benefited from such services/Suvidhas during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of financial implication made by the Government for the purpose during the said period, State/UT-wise;
- (d) whether the Government has launched any awareness programme and workshops for the farmers to address the problems being faced by them in availing the said services; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/being taken by the Government to make the said app/web services more effective in the farming sector?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  S.S. AHLUWALIA)

- (a) to (c): Yes,  Madam.        Government  has  launched  number  of  web  and  mobile  based applications for dissemination of information on agricultural related activities, free of cost, for the benefit of farmers and other stakeholders.

Some major mobile applications developed by Government are as under:

- (i) Kisan Suvidha:  This app has a simple interface and provides information on five critical parameters- weather, input dealers, market price, plant protection and expert advisories.
- (ii) Pusha Krishi: This app provides information on latest technologies to farmers.
- (iii) Crop  Insurance:  -  Famer  can  learn  of  insurance  premium,  notified  area  etc.  on  the mobile.

- (iv): Agri Market: - Farmer can learn of the prices of various crops in the mandis near him.
- (v): India Weather:- This app provides current weather and 4 days weather forecast across the country for more than 300 cities.

The major Web portals developed by Government are as under:-

- (i)  Farmers'Portal:  Farmers' Portal is a one stop shop for farmers where a farmer can get information  on  a  range  of  topics  including  seeds,  fertilizer,  pesticides,  credit,  good practices,  dealer network,  and  availability of inputs, beneficiary  list  and  Agromet advisories.
- (ii) mKisan  Portal:    This  is  a  unified  platform  from  where  officials  and  scientists  can  send targeted text and voice based advisories to the farmers on a host of issues related to agriculture and allied sectors.
- (iii)    Crop  Insurance  Portal:    To  provide  complete  information  related  to  Crop  Insurance scheme being implemented in the country.
- (iv)  Participatory  Guarantee  System of  India (PGS) Portal. This is a portal for encouraging participatory approach to certification of organic farming in the country.

These  mobile  apps  and  portal  are  available  in  the  public  domain.  While  the  exact numbers of farmers benefited may be difficult to ascertain, the number of State wise farmers registered on the mKisan portal is attached at Annexure-I and the State-wide downloads of the mobile apps is at Annexure-II.

The web portal and the mobile apps are centrally developed by Government,through the services of NIC and in-house team.

(d) & (e): The  Government  has  conducted  a  number  of  workshops  and  Krishi  Mela's involving  the  State  and  UT  officials  as  well  as  farmers  for  educating/demonstrating  these initiatives.

The Mobile Applications and the Web based Applications are given due prominence on the official websites and also through print and electronic media. Detailed advertisements have been issued in English and regional publications. Discussion-cum-demonstration sessions have also been held on Kisan TV Channel which have been telecasted throughout the country.

## Farmers registered on mkisan Portal

| S. No.   | State                  |   Number of Farmers |
|----------|------------------------|---------------------|
| 1        | A AND N ISLANDS        |                5243 |
| 2        | ANDHRA PRADESH         |              447368 |
| 3        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH      |                 329 |
| 4        | ASSAM                  |               43449 |
| 5        | BIHAR                  |              773655 |
| 6        | CHANDIGARH             |                  51 |
| 7        | CHHATTISGARH           |             1422433 |
| 8        | DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI |                  14 |
| 9        | DAMAN AND DIU          |                  15 |
| 10       | DELHI                  |               20211 |
| 11       | GOA                    |               22964 |
| 12       | GUJARAT                |              718434 |
| 13       | HARYANA                |              194509 |
| 14       | HIMACHAL PRADESH       |              749586 |
| 15       | JAMMU AND KASHMIR      |               43894 |
| 16       | JHARKAND               |              778763 |
| 17       | KARNATAKA              |              324820 |
| 18       | KERALA                 |              543770 |
| 19       | LAKSHADWEEP            |                   9 |
| 20       | MADHYA PRADESH         |             1179127 |
| 21       | MAHARASHTRA            |             5075754 |
| 22       | MANIPUR                |                1355 |
| 23       | MEGHALAYA              |                2283 |
| 24       | MIZORAM                |                 734 |
| 25       | NAGALAND               |                 980 |
| 26       | ODISHA                 |             2490176 |
| 27       | PUDUCHERRY             |                1717 |
| 28       | PUNJAB                 |              176050 |
| 29       | RAJASTHAN              |              456403 |
| 30       | SIKKIM                 |                2882 |
| 31       | TAMIL NADU             |              949013 |
| 32       | TELANGANA              |              244544 |
| 33       | TRIPURA                |                5931 |
| 34       | UTTAR PRADESH          |             1695510 |
| 35       | UTTARAKHAND            |               97092 |
| 36       | WEST BENGAL            |              600673 |
|          | Total                  |            19069741 |

## Annexure-I

Annexure-II

| State                  |              | Number of    | Mobile app Downloads   |            |
|------------------------|--------------|--------------|------------------------|------------|
|                        | KisanSuvidha | Pusha Krishi | Crop Insurance         | AgriMarket |
| A AND N ISLANDS        | 125          | 11           | 15                     | 21         |
| ANDHRA PRADESH         | 5169         | 416          | 812                    | 1098       |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH      | 92           | 10           |                        | 5          |
| ASSAM                  | 696          | 46           | 53                     | 75         |
| BIHAR                  | 9314         | 1254         | 600                    | 552        |
| CHANDIGARH             | 139          | 17           |                        | 20         |
| CHHATTISGARH           | 6204         | 798          | 375                    | 332        |
| DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI | 20           | 1            |                        | 8          |
| DAMAN AND DIU          | 15           | 1            |                        | 3          |
| DELHI                  | 1145         | 243          |                        | 232        |
| GOA                    | 103          | 7            | 7                      | 9          |
| GUJARAT                | 17993        | 1482         | 1370                   | 2073       |
| HARYANA                | 14318        | 1685         | 997                    | 1132       |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH       | 2570         | 377          | 107                    | 95         |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR      | 752          | 108          | 42                     | 40         |
| JHARKHAND              | 1632         | 193          | 113                    | 119        |
| KARNATAKA              | 8022         | 919          | 776                    | 1273       |
| KERALA                 | 2516         | 47           | 147                    | 222        |
| LAKSHADWEEP            | 18           | 1            |                        | 3          |
| MADHYA PRADESH         | 28860        | 2839         | 2072                   | 2705       |
| MAHARASHTRA            | 34651        | 1806         | 2368                   | 3546       |
| MANIPUR                | 71           | 28           | 16                     | 5          |
| MEGHALAYA              | 39           | 7            | 3                      | 4          |
| MIZORAM                | 69           | 6            | 7                      | 5          |
| NAGALAND               | 44           | 13           |                        | 3          |
| ODISHA                 | 3289         | 345          | 461                    | 252        |
| PUDUCHERRY             | 62           | 3            | 14                     | 15         |
| PUNJAB                 | 6446         | 826          |                        | 861        |
| RAJASTHAN              | 25335        | 2530         | 1809                   | 2247       |
| SIKKIM                 | 53           | 12           | 3                      | 2          |
| TAMIL NADU             | 6898         | 171          | 719                    | 1592       |
| TELANGANA              | 4549         | 246          | 512                    | 631        |
| TRIPURA                | 96           | 17           | 14                     | 15         |
| UTTAR PRADESH          | 35451        | 3340         | 1747                   | 1785       |
| UTTARAKHAND            | 1557         | 187          | 89                     | 109        |
| WEST BENGAL            | 2638         | 145          | 203                    | 275        |
| Total                  | 220951       | 20137        | 15451                  | 21364      |

********