Government to begin farmer registration for Aadhaar-style IDs from October; targets 5 crore by March

New Delhi: In a major push towards digitising the agriculture sector, the government will soon begin registration of farmers across the country to provide them with a unique ID similar to Aadhaar, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said on Monday.

Chaturvedi, speaking to PTI on the sidelines of an Outlook Agri-Tech Summit and Swaraj Awards, said the guidelines for the registration process will be issued soon, with the implementation set to begin in the first week of October.

"Our target is to register five crore farmers by March next year," the secretary said, noting that the initiative is part of the government's Rs 2,817-crore Digital Agriculture Mission approved by the Cabinet recently.

A pilot project was earlier conducted in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and 19 states have already onboarded the project, he said.

Once the farmers' registry is created, an "Aadhaar-like unique ID" will be provided to each registered farmer.

Chaturvedi said the unique ID will help farmers access various agricultural schemes, including the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Kisan Credit Card programme, without much hassle.

The data gathered will also aid the government in policy planning and targeted extension services.

"Presently, farmers have to go through verification every time they apply for any agri schemes. It not only involves cost but some face harassment. To address this issue, we are going to create a farmers' registry," he said.

The secretary said the current government data is limited to farm land parcels and crop details provided by states, but lacks individual farmer-wise information. The new registry aims to bridge this gap.

Chaturvedi urged progressive farmers, scientists and companies to spread awareness about the farmers' registration process and encourage participation. Camps will be organised across the country for the registration drive.

The government is also working on several other technological interventions, including a Kisan AI-based chatbox system, to improve services and support for farmers, the official added.