Finance
Odisha has achieved a major milestone in its digital agriculture journey with the Government of India formally assessing and approving the State’s proposals under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) for the implementation of AgriStack, the national Digital Public Infrastructure initiative for agriculture.
With this approval, Odisha has become eligible for incentives amounting to ₹155.48 crore, including ₹55.48 crore for achieving the first milestone of the Farmers’ Registry and ₹100 crore for the successful implementation of the Digital Crop Survey.
The recognition reflects Odisha’s strong compliance with national standards, timely achievement of coverage milestones and effective large-scale execution, reinforcing the State’s position as a frontrunner in adopting data-driven, farmer-centric digital reforms.
The Farmers’ Registry creates an authenticated and validated database of farmers, allowing for precise identification of beneficiaries for essential schemes like as PM-KISAN, CM Kisan, and crop insurance programs. The Digital Crop Survey, on the other hand, gives geo-referenced, plot-by-plot information on crops sown, allowing the state to make realistic estimations of cultivated area and productivity, improve procurement planning, and assure targeted delivery of agricultural projects. Together, the two components address essential questions such as who the farmer is, where the land is located, and what crop is farmed, providing the foundation for transparent and efficient scheme execution.
Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Empowerment, and Energy, lauded the feat as a source of pride for the state. He stated that the clearance reflects Odisha’s objective of making agriculture more transparent, efficient, and lucrative, and urged the department to fully utilize these digital tools to write a new chapter of prosperity and sustainability in the agricultural industry. He also complimented the Agriculture Department, technical teams involved in the effort, and Odisha farmers for their contributions to this historic feat.
Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary for Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, stated that AgriStack approval would transform data-driven farming in the state by assuring transparency, efficiency, and prosperity. He stated that because agriculture is so important to Odisha’s livelihoods, procurement, and input distribution, the Farmers’ Registry and Digital Crop Survey would be critical in transitioning from estimate-based planning to verified, plot-level, evidence-based decision-making in production, procurement, and markets. He went on to say that by integrating these systems with weather, soil, pest, and price data, predictive analytics might be used for production predictions, advisories, pest alerts, and price trend research.
Officials said the approval is a crucial step toward creating a strong digital platform for agriculture in Odisha, with the goal of empowering farmers and enhancing governance outcomes.
