Parliament Question: Implementation of digital agricultural initiatives in Kushinagar district

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3859 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/03/2026 IMPLEMENTATION OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVES IN KUSHINAGAR DISTRICT 3859: SHRI RATANJIT PRATAP NARAIN SINGH: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state: (a) the total acreage of agricultural land in Kushinagar district digitally mapped under the AgriStack initiative during the current year; (b) the number of farmers in the district issued with the digital Farmer ID (Kisan ki Pehchaan); (c) the details of the integration of this digital registry with local paddy and wheat procurement operations; (d) the estimated reduction in the time taken to disburse crop insurance claims locally due to digital crop surveys; and (e) the steps taken to train village-level revenue officials in utilizing this centralized digital infrastructure? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a): The Digital Crop Survey is an integral part of the AgriStack initiatives. Digital Crop Survey (DCS) has been conducted in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh. In Kushinagar district, the total crop sown area in Kharif 2025 under DCS was 1.26 lakh Hectares whereas the crop sown area in Rabi 2025-26 is 1.60 lakh Hectares. (b): The State Farmers Registry under the AgriStack DPI covers all the landholding, livestock and fisheries farmers and provides them with a digital identity called the Farmer ID. As of 19.03.2026, more than 4.06 lakhs Farmer IDs have been generated in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh. (c): The Digital Crop Survey (under AgriStack) has been integrated with the local paddy and wheat procurement operations through the State e-Procurement portal used for MSP procurement. Under this integration, GPS-tagged, plot-level crop sowing data captured in AgriStack is electronically linked with Bhulekh land records and Aadhaar-authenticated farmer registrations at procurement centres. During Kharif and Rabi Marketing Seasons, AgriStack data is used to verify crop type, sown area, and farmer eligibility, enforce farmer-wise procurement limits and prevent procurement beyond the actual cultivated area based on the land owned particulars by the respective farmers. This integration, implemented from January 2024 onwards, has strengthened transparency in procurement activities reduced the role of middlemen, and ensured that MSP benefits for paddy and wheat are provided only to genuine cultivators. (d): Currently, Digital Crop Surveys data are not being utilized for claim settlement under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in State of Uttar Pradesh. (e): The Government of Uttar Pradesh has informed that the State builds the capacity of village-level revenue officials by training District Master Trainers (DMTs) at the district level and Tehsil Master Trainers (TMTs) at the tehsil level, who subsequently train the village-level revenue officials, thereby, ensuring streamlined processes. *****