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India achieves major milestone in digital agriculture
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Tuesday, 27 October, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Government of India has achieved its target of creating 11 crore Farmer IDs five months ahead of the March 31, 2027 deadline, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital agriculture initiative. The achievement, completed on October 23, 2026, under the Digital Agriculture Mission, is expected to improve transparency and simplify farmers’ access to government schemes, institutional credit, crop insurance and disaster relief.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan credited the coordinated efforts of the Central and state governments, Union Territory administrations and field-level officials for achieving the target ahead of schedule. He described the initiative as an important step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India with prosperous farmers.
The Farmer ID initiative provides farmers with a unique digital identity to facilitate easier access to agricultural services and welfare schemes. It is expected to reduce paperwork, eliminate repeated document verification and minimise the need for farmers to visit government offices and banks multiple times to avail themselves of benefits.
The digital identity system is expected to streamline access to bank loans and Kisan Credit Card facilities by simplifying verification procedures. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, it is also expected to support more transparent crop-loss assessments and compensation disbursement. Similarly, the system aims to expedite disaster relief assistance and improve transparency in crop procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), helping ensure that eligible farmers receive the benefits due to them.
The Digital Agriculture Mission was launched following Union Cabinet approval on September 2, 2024. The Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) being developed under the mission aims to integrate verified farmer data with agricultural services, strengthen coordination among government departments and improve the monitoring and implementation of welfare schemes.
According to the ministry, more than six crore farmers have already received direct benefits under various schemes through the Farmer ID-based service delivery system. The verified database is also helping reduce duplication and potential fraud while supporting more efficient policy formulation and delivery of government assistance.
Chouhan described the achievement as an example of cooperative federalism and acknowledged the contribution of officials and field personnel working across the country. States and Union Territories are also taking steps, in accordance with applicable rules, to include tenant farmers and actual cultivators in the digital registry, with the objective of ensuring that no eligible farmer is excluded from welfare programmes.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare will continue strengthening the Farmer Registry under the principle of Minimum Government, Maximum Governance. The initiative is intended to establish a transparent, accountable and farmer-centric agricultural ecosystem in which technology improves service delivery and enables farmers to access government support with fewer procedural hurdles.
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