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Topic : Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM)

GS-3 Mains  : Economy

Revision Notes

Context:

• Announced by the Union Government with a budget of Rs. 2,800 crore.
• Aims to address challenges faced by Indian agriculture and improve farmer income.

Mission Components:

• Farmer Registry: Create a nationwide registry with unique IDs for every farmer. (Pilot project in 6 districts)
  • Benefits:
    • Access to government schemes (PM-Kisan, Fasal Bima Yojana)
    • Financial services (loans, insurance)
  • Launched in UP and Maharashtra.
• Crop Sown Registry: Record crops sown by farmers on their land.
  • Benefits:
    • Improved planning and estimation of crop production.

Importance of DAM:

• Increased agricultural productivity.
• Reduced waste and increased agricultural exports.
• Improved food and nutrition security.
• Environment protection and sustainable agricultural development.
• Utilization of technologies like AI, blockchain, remote sensing, robots, and drones.

Challenges:

• Lack of a centralized agricultural data repository.
• Limited farmer access to sensors, mechanization, and connectivity for AI solutions.
• Farmer data privacy concerns.

Related Initiatives:

• AI programs in agriculture (e.g., Kisan e-Mitra chatbot).
• National Pest Surveillance System (uses AI for crop issue detection).
• Agricultural mechanization (Rs. 6405.55 crore allocated since 2014-15).
  • Kisan drone promotion (Rs. 141.41 crore allocated).
• National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA) for ICT use in agriculture.
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform for integration of agricultural markets.

Conclusion:

• Digital agriculture holds immense potential to transform India’s agricultural sector and empower farmers.
• Success hinges on policy and legal frameworks, public-private partnerships, and an AI-ready ecosystem.
• India is on the right track with government initiatives and the growth of agri-tech startups.