Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare addresses Lok Sabha question 3887 on August 12, 2025, regarding AgriStack benefits for small and marginal farmers. The Digital Agriculture Mission, approved in September 2024, aims to establish a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture. AgriStack is a key component, designed to deliver farmer-centric digital solutions and reliable crop information.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Digital Agriculture Mission & AgriStack:**
* The Digital Agriculture Mission, approved in September 2024, aims to create a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture.
* AgriStack is a DPI component including Krishi Decision Support System (KDSS) and a Soil Fertility Profile Map to build a robust digital agriculture ecosystem.
* AgriStack ensures reliable crop-related information reaches all farmers promptly.
* **AgriStack Key Registries:**
* AgriStack includes Geo-Referenced Village Maps, Crop Sown Registry, and Farmers Registry, created and maintained by State Governments/Union Territories.
* The Farmer Registry contains data on demographics, land holdings, and crops sown, enabling digital identification and authentication for accessing services.
* The Crop Sown Registry, enabled by the Digital Crop Survey (DCS) System, provides real-time crop area information.
* **AgriStack Benefits & Services:**
* Enables farmer-centric digital services and improves efficiency and transparency in implementing schemes.
* Facilitates hassle-free benefit delivery to farmers.
* JanSamarth is integrated with AgriStack to help farmers obtain paperless Kisan Credit Card loans.
* Supports efficient and transparent MSP-based procurement.
* Crop-based SMS communications helped reach pulse farmers for targeted procurement.
* The Digital Crop Survey is integrated with Uttar Pradesh's procurement system to verify crops.
* Soil Health Card services leverage Farmer ID and Geo-referenced Village Maps for soil sample collection.
* Crop data from the Digital Crop Survey improves satellite crop map accuracy and enables quick crop production estimations.
Impact Analysis:
* **Small and Marginal Farmers:**
* Impact: Improved access to credit, insurance, procurement, and other services through digital identification and authentication. Enhanced information on crops and soil health.
* Action Required: Register in the Farmers Registry with accurate data on demographics, land holdings, and crops sown.
* **State Governments/Union Territories:**
* Impact: Responsible for creating and maintaining Geo-Referenced Village Maps, Crop Sown Registry, and Farmers Registry. Can design solutions for farmers to access the digital economy.
* Action Required: Develop and maintain the three key registries (Village Maps, Crop Sown, and Farmers). Design farmer-centric digital solutions for online input purchase and produce sales.
* **Government Agencies:**
* Impact: Enhanced efficiency and transparency in implementing schemes and services. Improved accuracy in crop production estimations and procurement processes.
* Action Required: Utilize AgriStack data for targeted and transparent procurement. Integrate Digital Crop Survey with procurement systems.
Key Entities Referenced
AgriStack: A Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative for Agriculture, part of the Digital Agriculture Mission, that includes registries like GeoReferenced Village Maps, Crop Sown Registry, and the Farmers Registry.
Digital Agriculture Mission: A government mission approved in September 2024 aiming to create a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture.
Krishi Decision Support System KDSS: A part of the Digital Agriculture Mission that provides decision support for agriculture.
Soil Fertility Profile Map: A comprehensive map that is part of the Digital Agriculture Mission to build a robust digital agriculture ecosystem.
GeoReferenced Village Maps: A key registry or database related to the agriculture sector and part of the AgriStack initiative, created and maintained by State Governments or Union Territories.
Crop Sown Registry: A key registry or database related to the agriculture sector and part of the AgriStack initiative, created and maintained by State Governments or Union Territories.
Farmers Registry: A key registry or database related to the agriculture sector and part of the AgriStack initiative, created and maintained by State Governments or Union Territories.
Digital Crop Survey DCS System: A system that enables the Crop Sown Registry and provides accurate, realtime crop area information.
JanSamarth: A digital platform that connects credit-linked government schemes and is integrated with AgriStack to help farmers obtain Kisan Credit Card loans.
Kisan Credit Card: A credit scheme that farmers can obtain loans from through JanSamarth using AgriStack.
Food Corporation of India: A government agency whose procurement system in Uttar Pradesh is integrated with the Digital Crop Survey to help verify the crops procured.
Uttar Pradesh: An Indian state where the procurement system of Food Corporation of India is integrated with the Digital Crop Survey.
Soil Health Card: A service that leverage Farmer ID and Georeferenced Village Maps for precise soil sample collection.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3887
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12TH AUGUST, 2025
AGRI STACK BENEFITS FOR SMALL AND MARGINAL FARMER
3887. SHRI RAJKUMAR CHAHAR:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी)
be pleased to state:
(a) the manner in which the agri Stack initiative will help the Government to
provide benefits to small and marginal farmers;
(b) whether any measures are being taken by the Government to provide various
services to farmers through the Agri stack framework; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a) to (c): The Government approved the Digital Agriculture Mission in September 2024.
The Mission aims to create a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture, including
AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (KDSS), and a comprehensive Soil Fertility &
Profile Map to build a robust digital agriculture ecosystem in the country. This, in turn,
enables innovative farmer-centric digital solutions and ensures that reliable crop-related
information reaches all farmers promptly. The AgriStack DPI includes three key registries
or databases related to the agriculture sector, namely Geo-Referenced Village Maps, Crop
Sown Registry, and the Farmers Registry, all created and maintained by the State
Governments or 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 themselves for accessing benefits and services such as credit, insurance,
procurement, etc. It also enables states to design solutions that open access for farmers
to the digital economy, such as the Purchase and sale of Inputs and produce online in a
trustful manner. The Crop Sown Registry enabled by the Digital Crop Survey (DCS)
System provides accurate, real-time crop area information for every agricultural plot.
AgriStack enables Governments to develop farmer-centric digital services,
improving efficiency and transparency in implementing various schemes and services, and
supporting hassle-free and inclusive benefit delivery to farmers.i. JanSamarth (a digital platform that connects credit-linked government schemes) is
integrated with AgriStack to help farmers obtain hassle-free and paperless Kisan Credit
Card loans.
ii. AgriStack facilitates efficient and transparent MSP-based procurement. Through
crop-based SMS communications, it has helped reach Farmers growing Pulses for a
targeted and transparent procurement by government Agencies. Further, the Digital
Crop Survey has been integrated with the procurement system of Uttar Pradesh to help
verify the crops procured by the Food Corporation of India.
iii. Soil Health Card services leverage Farmer ID and Geo-referenced Village Maps for
precise soil sample collection.
iv. The Crop data collected through the Digital Crop Survey has not only helped the
Government ground-truth the remote sensing signatures to improve the accuracy of
satellite crop maps, but has also enabled quick crop production estimations.
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