Farmers' IDs: First to hit 25% mark, Gujarat set to get incentives

• Agriculture Ministry sources said Gujarat officials have informed them that the state will be sending a formal proposal to get the funds under the the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25 in the next few days.

Highlights:

• Gujarat is poised to become the first state to avail of the Centre’s incentives under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25, having achieved 25% of its target for creating a Farmers’ Registry.
• This milestone was reached with 17.47 lakh Farmer IDs generated out of the state’s target of 66.21 lakh farmers. The state will soon formally apply for the associated funds, according to Agriculture Ministry officials.

Farmers’ Registry and Digital Agriculture:

• A Farmer ID, or Kisan Pehchaan Patra, serves as a unique Aadhaar-based digital identity linked to state land records. It includes details like demographics, crops sown, and land ownership, forming the backbone of the Farmers’ Registry.
• This registry is part of the AgriStack initiative under the Centre’s Digital Agriculture Mission, which aims to build digital public infrastructure for India’s agriculture sector.

Central Incentives and Targets:

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budget Speech that 6 crore farmers would be brought into the farmer and land registries this fiscal year. To incentivize states, the Centre has allocated ₹5,000 crore for the Farmers’ Registry in 2024-25, with funds disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Funding Milestones:

• 25% Coverage: ₹500 per Farmer ID.
• 50% Coverage: ₹750 per Farmer ID.
• 75% Coverage: ₹1,250 per Farmer ID.
• 100% Coverage: ₹1,750 per Farmer ID.
• For example, a state registering 25 lakh farmers at 25% coverage would receive ₹125 crore, with progressively higher amounts for increased coverage.

National Progress:

• While Gujarat leads with 25% coverage, other states are progressing:
  • Madhya Pradesh: 9% coverage.
  • Maharashtra: 2% coverage.
  • States like Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Rajasthan have also initiated Farmer ID generation.
• The Centre has adopted a camp-mode approach to expedite the process, offering ₹15,000 per camp and ₹10 per Farmer ID as additional incentives to states.

Benefits of the Farmers’ Registry:

• The Farmers’ Registry will allow farmers to:
  • Digitally identify and authenticate themselves.
  • Access government benefits and services without cumbersome paperwork.
  • Minimize the need for physical visits to offices and service providers.
• This digital infrastructure promises to streamline service delivery and enhance efficiency in India’s agricultural sector.

Prelims Takeaways

• Kisan Pehchaan Patra
• Digital Agriculture Mission
• PM KISAN