In recent years, digital farming has emerged as a transformative solution for India’s agricultural sector. The growing population demands on agriculture, the limited resources, and the effects of climate challenges necessitate the development of agriculture through digital technologies to improve productivity, augment farmer income, and build sustainable practices.
Digitalization in agriculture uses data-driven technologies, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, satellite imagery, and mobile applications to optimise the farm. Here let’s explore how advanced Indian farms with digital solutions.
What is the Digital Agriculture Mission?
The Digital Agriculture Mission, with an outlay of Rs. 2817 Crore, has been set up to develop DPI for agriculture and was launched in September 2024. DPIs were announced in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 budgets. MoUs have been signed between the Government of India and 19 States for DPIs.
Agri Stack
Farmers will get a digital identity like Aadhaar, and data on crops will be collected through a mobile-based survey. The government is planning to develop digital identities for 11 crore farmers by 2026-27, as a nationwide crop survey is also scheduled to be launched in the next two years.
Krishi Decision Support System and DGCES
To be launched by August 2024 that will integrate crop, soil, and weather remote sensing data targeting preparation of soil profile maps for 142 million hectares of agricultural area.
Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) is expected to allow yield estimation across the states from 2024-SS25.
Krishi Sakhis
This Krishi Sakhis initiative is supported through MoU signing in 2023: Training women farmers for a self-help agricultural program.
- Krishi Sakhis are provided with training in agroecological techniques and refresher courses on natural farming and soil health.
- They will be certified as Para-extension Workers after passing a proficiency test.
- The estimated earnings of certified Krishi Sakhis would be over Rs 50,000 per year, thereby enhancing their role in support of rural agriculture.
Key Advantages of Digital Farming
Here are some advantages of using digital farming.
Precision Agriculture
IoT sensors deliver real-time data about the health of the soil, moisture levels, and current weather conditions. This ensures that the farmers utilise all the resources more efficiently, resulting in lesser wastage, and higher quality crops are produced.
Remote Monitoring
Satellites and drones help monitor the health of crops and diseases or pests that might begin early. This allows for early actions by farmers who may minimise the impact of pests and diseases.
Access to Market Information
The digital platforms connect the farmers directly with the buyers. This saves the middleman segment completely, and thus the farmer gets a better price and increased returns.
Financial Inclusion
Mobile banking and digital payment give farmers loans, insurance, and government subsidies. Such a form of aid provides stability when their expectations are not met.
Key Components of Digital Farming
Here are some important key components of digital farming.
IoT Sensors and Drones
The IoT sensors can measure soil health and moisture and monitor crop growth. On the other hand, drones help in aerial surveillance of huge land, thereby detecting early signs of diseases in crops and assessing the condition of their land accurately.
Mobile Applications for Farmers
There is Kisan Suvidha and eNAM these apps support price information, weather forecasts, as well as government advisories. All these through the Digital India Programme facilitated increased access which enables timely decision-making by farmers.
AI and Data Analytics
The tools assess humongous amounts of data on agriculture, climate patterns, and pest outbreaks and give actionable insights. As PWOnlyIAS suggests, AI in farming has great potential for predicting crop yields, suggesting optimal planting and harvesting periods.
Government Initiatives Supporting Digital Farming
The Digital India Programme has played a very important role in the development of digital agriculture. Some of these are,
eNAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market)
Electronic National Agriculture Market is a digital marketplace for transparent and efficient trade of agricultural produce across India.
Kisan Suvidha App
Provides weather updates, market prices, and expert advice, enhancing farmers’ decision-making.
Farmers Database
This database will try to create a country-wide record that is associated with the land records so agricultural planning and formulating policies would become more accessible. It will issue unique IDs to the farmers for tracking the benefits given under various schemes.
This central database proves useful for issuing soil health cards and crop advisories while advancing precision farming, besides serving a purpose in subsidy management.
BharatNet
This represents India’s rural broadband, which connects over 250,000 Gram Panchayats using high-speed fiber-optic networks.
In agriculture, BharatNet provides access to digital weather forecasts, market prices, and new farming techniques for rural farmers to make informed decisions to boost productivity and connect with larger markets for better income.
Digital farming transforms traditional practices so that Indian agriculture can compete and remain sustainable. The emergence of a digitally empowered farm sector will fire up rural prosperity, mainly with food security and economic stability for the future of India amidst constant evolution in digital farming technology.
