The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) has directed states to organize camps for the swift generation of Farmer IDs under the Centre’s Digital Agriculture Mission. The Farmer ID, also known as the Kisan Pehchaan Patra, is a unique Aadhaar-linked digital identity dynamically connected to state land records. It will consolidate key data such as demographic details, crops cultivated and land ownership information.
The government plans to generate Farmer IDs for 11 crore farmers by 2027. For the fiscal year 2024-25, the target is set at six crore farmers, followed by three crore in 2025-26 and two crore in 2026-27. To expedite this process, the Centre has encouraged states to adopt a camp-mode registration approach.
Interestingly, Centre’s initiative to create a digital database of farmers draws inspiration from Karnataka’s FRUITS (Farmer Registration and Unified Beneficiary Information System) software. This system enables seamless registration using Aadhaar and integrates with the state’s digitised Bhoomi land records for authenticating ownership.
Through the FRUITS platform, farmers in Karnataka can access a range of benefits, including cash incentives under the PM Kisan scheme, Minimum Support Price (MSP) payments for crops, special financial assistance programs, and streamlined authentication for caste certificates and ration cards.
Before understanding the impacts of the Kisan Pehchan Patra initiative, let’s take a look at the umbrella scheme Digital Agriculture Mission.
Digital Agriculture Mission and its impact on farm sector
The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs 2,817-crore initiative under the Digital Agriculture Mission to develop Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the agriculture sector. This move aligns with India’s broader e-governance efforts, which have successfully introduced Aadhaar, DigiLocker and UPI.
The mission focuses on three key DPI components, namely AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (DSS) and Soil Profile Maps. These tools aim to enhance farmers’ access to critical services, including crop advisory, weather updates and soil health information.
Another highlight of this initiative is the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), a technology-driven platform designed to deliver accurate agricultural production estimates. The initiative seeks to digitise agriculture comprehensively, providing farmers with actionable insights to boost productivity.
How will Farmer’s ID initiative digitise agri sector?
The Farmer ID initiative looks like a significant step toward digitising the Indian agriculture sector. By streamlining access to services, improving data accuracy and enabling targeted interventions, this initiative promises to enhance productivity and sustainability in the sector.
The data collected through Farmer IDs will form the Farmers’ Registry, a crucial component of AgriStack, which falls under the Digital Agriculture Mission. AgriStack aims to create digital public infrastructure (DPI) for the agricultural sector.
The Kisan Pehchan Patra will digitise crucial data, including land ownership, livestock details, and crop patterns. Farmers will benefit from enhanced access to crop insurance, loans, and other government schemes. The ID will also integrate information on village land maps and sown crops, creating a holistic database to drive policy decisions.
To encourage states to expedite Farmer ID generation, the Centre will provide incentives through the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme. States will receive Rs 15,000 per registration camp and an additional Rs 10 for every Farmer ID generated.
However, challenges such as ensuring digital literacy and infrastructure in rural areas, still remain.
How to register for Kisan Pechan Patra?
Farmers can register themselves for the Farmer ID via village-level authorities (VCE) or independently online. For instance, Madhya Pradesh farmers can register through the dedicated portal - Farmer Registry MP. Key documents required include Aadhaar details, land ownership records, crop information and bank account details.
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