West Bengal Set to Join Digital Agriculture Mission
Why in the news
After a new state government took office, West Bengal was expected to sign up for DAM shortly. Talks with the Union Agriculture Ministry were on, which would close the last gap in the national mission.
Key facts
- West Bengal was the only state not yet part of the Digital Agriculture Mission.
- The mission is built around AgriStack, a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for farming.
- Aims: unique Farmer IDs, better crop monitoring, sharper subsidy delivery, easier credit and insurance.
- The Centre also began a review of central schemes running in the state, as reported on 8 May.
- Digital Crop Survey and Soil Profile Mapping are related projects under the mission.
AgriStack layers
| Layer | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Farmers’ Registry | Aadhaar-linked digital identity (Farmer ID) |
| Crop Sown Registry | Record of crops planted by each farmer |
| Geo-referenced village maps | Digital maps for crop-level planning |
These layers support later services such as subsidies, credit, insurance and advisories.
Why West Bengal matters
- About 7.2 million farmers (2015-16 Census) and a net sown area of 5.5 million hectares.
- Strong output of rice, potatoes, vegetables, pulses, oilseeds and maize.
- Small and marginal holders dominate, so digital IDs and direct transfers can cut middlemen, paperwork and exclusion errors.
Background
- DPI means open, interoperable platforms such as Aadhaar (identity), UPI (payments) and Account Aggregator (data).
- Agriculture is a State subject (Entry 14, List II, Seventh Schedule), so states must cooperate.
- Marginal farmer: under 1 hectare; small farmer: 1 to 2 hectares; together about 86% of farmers but under half of cropped area.
| Scheme type | Funding | Implemented by | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Sector | Fully by the Union | Central agencies | PM-KISAN |
| Centrally Sponsored | Shared by Centre and states | State governments | PMAY, PMGSY |
Exam angle
- Nodal ministry: Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- PM-KISAN: launched 2019, ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments by DBT.
- Related terms: Farmer ID, Crop Sown Registry, Digital Crop Survey, DPI.