The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) held a National Conference on Agri Stack, focusing on leveraging data for improved agricultural governance. Key discussions centered on the progress, challenges, and future of Agri Stack implementation under the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM). Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi emphasized the need for states to link Farmer Registries with updated land records and utilize digital datasets for scheme delivery. The conference included an overview of Agri Stack, integration of Farmer IDs with schemes like PM-KISAN, and the introduction of services like farmer authorization systems and Digitally Verifiable Certificates (DVCs). Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, and Odisha, along with the PSB Alliance, to facilitate digital access to credit for farmers. Special Central Assistance (SCA) guidelines were launched with a total allocation of ₹6,000 crore to support states in Farmer Registry development and Digital Crop Surveys. Technical sessions addressed data quality and compliance, and states presented their Agri Stack usage. The conference also introduced a unified grievance redressal portal and showcased an AI-powered chatbot for farmer support.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture Farmers Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for agriculture and farmers' welfare. Also referred to as MoAFW.
National Conference on Agri Stack: Turning Data into Delivery: A conference organized by the Ministry of Agriculture Farmers Welfare focusing on the Agri Stack initiative.
Shri Devesh Chaturvedi: Secretary, Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare. He delivered the welcome address at the conference.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi. The source of the posted information.
Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi: The location where the National Conference on Agri Stack: Turning Data into Delivery was held.
Agri Stack: A digital agriculture initiative under the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) aimed at leveraging data for improved agricultural services and governance.
Digital Agriculture Mission DAM: A mission focused on digitizing agriculture.
Farmer Registries: Digital records of farmers, intended to be linked with Records of Rights (RoR) for scheme delivery and personalized services.
Records of Rights RoR: Land records that are to be linked with Farmer Registries.
Department of Land Resources DoLR: A government department. The Secretary of this department emphasized the role of digital land records and Aadhaar seeding.
Aadhaar: A 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India.
Shri Pramod Kumar Meherda: Additional Secretary Digital, MoAFW, provided an overview of Agri Stack.
Farmer ID: A unique identification for farmers, integrated with schemes like PMKISAN, PMFBY, and KCC.
PMKISAN: A flagship scheme; likely Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, an income support scheme for farmers.
PMFBY: A flagship scheme; likely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a crop insurance scheme.
KCC: Likely Kisan Credit Card, a credit scheme for farmers.
Unified Farmer Service Interface UFSI: Standards for data quality assurance and compliance within the Agri Stack.
Digitally Verifiable Certificates DVCs: Upcoming services empowering farmers to share land and crop information securely.
Memoranda of Understanding MoUs: Agreements signed with the States of Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, and Odisha, and the PSB Alliance with the National Farmers Welfare Program Implementation Society NFWPIS, MoAFW.
Maharashtra: One of the states which signed an MoU.
Kerala: One of the states which signed an MoU.
Bihar: One of the states which signed an MoU.
Odisha: One of the states which signed an MoU.
PSB Alliance: An alliance of Public Sector Banks.
National Farmers Welfare Program Implementation Society NFWPIS: An organization under MoAFW involved in implementing farmers' welfare programs.
Special Central Assistance SCA Guidelines: Guidelines launched to support States, with specific allocations for Farmer Registry and Digital Crop Survey.
Chief knowledge Officer and Advisor CKOA: An individual or office involved in leading technical sessions on digital infrastructure.
Digital Crop Survey DCS: A survey using digital tools; compliance with DCS standards is emphasized.
Uttar Pradesh: A state which provided insights on Agri Stack usage, specifically regarding MSP e-procurement.
Karnataka: A state which presented multilayered innovations, including integration of the FRUITS with banking systems.
FRUITS: Integrated with banking systems; the text provides no further information.
Digitally Verifiable Credential DVC: Also referred to as the Kisan Pehchan Patra, allows farmers to generate authenticated credentials for land parcels and crops.
Kisan Pehchan Patra: Also referred to as the Digitally Verifiable Credential DVC, allows farmers to generate authenticated credentials for land parcels and crops.
DigiLocker: A platform where DVCs/Kisan Pehchan Patras are integrated.
MahaDBT: A system which Maharashtra wants to integrate Farmer ID based enrolment via a Data Provisioning Engine (DPE).
Data Provisioning Engine DPE: A system which Maharashtra wants to establish for Farmer ID based enrolment in the MahaDBT.
Mahavistaar AI: An innovative sandbox for AI-driven advisories in Maharashtra.
MSP: Minimum Support Price, which Uttar Pradesh integrated Agri Stack with for e-procurement.
Google Gemini: Used to train an AI-powered chatbot for the Ministry, capable of answering queries in multiple languages.
Shri Anindya Banerjee: Deputy Advisor, delivered the Vote of Thanks at the conference.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
National Conference on Agri Stack: Turning Data into
Delivery
Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary Department of
Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare reiterates the
government’s commitment to leveraging technology
for transparent, and farmer-centric governance
Posted On: 13 JUN 2025 8:08PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) organized the National Conference on Agri
Stack: Turning Data into Delivery today at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. The conference served as a
strategic platform for senior officials from the Centre and States key stakeholders to deliberate on the
progress, challenges, and future roadmap for the implementation of Agri Stack under the Digital Agriculture
Mission (DAM).
The conference began with a welcome address by Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary (Agriculture), whoreiterated the government’s commitment to leveraging technology for transparent, farmer-centric governance.
He highlighted the urgent need for States to dynamically link their Farmer Registries with updated Records of
Rights (RoR) and actively utilize the digital datasets for scheme delivery and personalized agricultural
services. In his keynote, the Secretary, Department of Land Resources (DoLR), emphasized the foundational
role of digital land records and Aadhaar seeding for accurate farmer identification, noting the challenges of
declining land value and income in rural areas.
Shri Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary (Digital), MoA&FW, provided a comprehensive
overview of Agri Stack , including integration of the Farmer ID with flagship schemes such as PM-KISAN,
PMFBY, KCC etc. He stressed the importance of georeferencing, data quality assurance, and compliance with
Unified Farmer Service Interface (UFSI) standards. The conference also witnessed the introduction of
upcoming services such as farmer authorization systems and Digitally Verifiable Certificates (DVCs),
empowering farmers to share land and crop information securely and selectively.
A major milestone of the day was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the States of
Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, and Odisha, and the PSB Alliance with the National Farmers’ Welfare Program
Implementation Society (NFWPIS), MoA&FW. This collaboration will enable seamless digital access to
credit services through Farmer Registry-linked authentication, reducing paperwork and benefiting small and
marginal farmers across India. Additionally, the Special Central Assistance (SCA) Guidelines were jointly
launched by Secretaries of Agriculture and Land Resources, Chief knowledge Officer and Advisor (CKO&A),
Add. Secretary (MoA&FW) in the presence of other dignitaries. A total allocation of ₹6,000 crore was
announced to support States—₹4,000 crore earmarked for Farmer Registry (including legal heir systems), and
₹2,000 crore for Digital Crop Survey, on a first-come-first-served basis.
Technical sessions led by the Chief Knowledge Officer and Advisor (CKO&A) focused on scaling State-level
digital infrastructure, addressing gaps in data quality, and enforcing compliance with DCS standards.
Challenges such as outdated tribal land records, errors in crop survey photos, and non-compliance with DCS
standards were discussed. Emphasis was laid on using remote sensing, AI/ML tools, and automated data
validation mechanisms to improve accuracy and efficiency.
A dedicated session titled Insights from States on Agri Stack Usage featured presentations from Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. Maharashtra showcased enrolment of farmers in the Farmers Registry across
the state and its progress in meeting SCA milestones. The State sought central support for establishing a Data
Provisioning Engine (DPE), enabling Farmer ID based enrolment in the MahaDBT, and creation of an
innovative sandbox for AI-driven advisories (Mahavistaar AI). Uttar Pradesh highlighted its use case ofintegrating Agri Stack with MSP e-procurement for 2024 and shared field challenges in DCS implementation.
Karnataka presented multi-layered innovations, including integration of the FRUITS with banking systems,
use of Agri Stack in disaster relief, and linking soil health cards for customized advisory services.
CKO introduced the Digitally Verifiable Credential (DVC), also referred to as the Kisan Pehchan Patra, which
allows farmers to generate authenticated credentials for specific land parcels and crops. These DVCs are
integrated with DigiLocker and dynamically revoked upon land mutation. The session also launched a unified
grievance redressal portal with OTP-based login, multilingual support, and audio upload features for land-
related disputes. Farmers can authorize representatives to access services or lodge grievances on their behalf.
The Ministry also showcased an AI-powered chatbot, trained on Agri Stack data and built using Google
Gemini, capable of answering queries in multiple languages. Additional AI tools are being piloted for
assisting supervisors in crop identification, performing facial authentication of surveyors, and optimizing
backend code in partnership with system integrators.
The conference concluded with an open dialogue moderated by the Additional Secretary (Digital), inviting
feedback from States and facilitating peer learning. Shri Anindya Banerjee, Deputy Advisor, delivered the
Vote of Thanks, commending the collaborative spirit and reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to supporting
States in realizing the vision of inclusive, data-driven agricultural development.
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PSF/KSR/AR
(Release ID: 2136255)