Parliament Question: Evaluation of digital agriculture initiatives

O.I.H GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 77 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 06/02/2026 EVALUATION OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES *77. SHRI MAYANKKUMAR NAYAK: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Ministry 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 Ministry has assessed the impact of these initiatives on productivity, income levels and market linkages for farmers; and (d) if so, the details thereof, including coverage and measurable outcomes, State-wise? ANSWER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN) (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of House.STATEMENT MADE IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 77 REGARDING EVALUATION OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES RAISED BY SHRI MAYANKKUMAR NAYAK DUE FOR REPLY ON 06/02/2026. (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 decision-making. 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 SammanNidhi 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. ********