Agriculture in India has always been the backbone of the nation’s economy, providing livelihood to nearly half of the population. Yet, farmers often face challenges in accessing government schemes, subsidies, crop insurance, and market opportunities. One of the primary reasons behind these difficulties is the lack of a unified and accurate database of farmers.
To address this gap, the Government of India has launched the Agri Stack initiative, aiming to create a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for farmers. As part of this initiative, the Farmer Registry is being rolled out across Odisha, with the goal of building a comprehensive, digital, and unified record of all farmers in the state. This initiative promises to transform agricultural governance, streamline service delivery, and empower farmers with better access to opportunities.
What is the Farmer Registry?
The Farmer Registry is a digital database that captures vital details of farmers, including:
- Demographic details (verified through Aadhaar and e-KYC)
- Land ownership details (fetched from the state’s Bhulekh database)
- Crop details (extracted from the Digital Crop Survey database)
By consolidating this information, the Farmer Registry creates a single, authentic, and comprehensive database of farmers, which can be used across government departments and schemes.
Objectives of the Farmer Registry:
The primary objective of the Farmer Registry is to create a unified system for farmer identification and service delivery. The envisaged outcomes include:
- Creation of a comprehensive farmer database – A single source of truth for farmer-related data.
- Improved targeting for agricultural schemes and subsidies – Ensuring that only genuine farmers benefit from government programs.
- Better access to digital services and markets – Farmers can seamlessly avail of crop insurance, credit, and market linkages.
- Enhanced monitoring and evaluation of policies – Policymakers can track the impact of schemes more effectively and make data-driven decisions.
How Will the Farmer Registry Benefit Farmers?
The Farmer Registry is more than just a database – it is a digital empowerment tool for farmers. Here’s how it will make a difference in their lives:
1. Seamless Access to Government Schemes
Today, farmers often face challenges in proving their eligibility for schemes such as PM-KISAN, crop insurance, or subsidy programs. With the Farmer Registry, their Aadhaar-linked and verified landholding details will be stored in one place. This ensures that they receive benefits without delays.
2. Financial Inclusion Made Easier
The Registry acts as a gateway for farmers to access institutional credit, crop loans, and financial services. Banks and cooperative societies will have access to verified data, reducing paperwork and ensuring faster loan disbursals.
3. Better Insurance Coverage
Crop insurance schemes often fail because of inaccurate land and crop data. With the Farmer Registry integrating with the Digital Crop Survey, insurance claims will be settled faster and more accurately, protecting farmers from losses due to natural calamities.
4. Market Linkages and Fair Prices
By being part of a digital ecosystem, farmers will be able to access online marketplaces, connect with buyers directly, and reduce exploitation by middlemen. Verified land and crop data will also build trust among agri-businesses and buyers.
5. Transparency and Reduced Leakages
The Registry ensures that subsidies and benefits reach the actual cultivators, eliminating ghost beneficiaries and duplication. This builds trust in governance and increases the credibility of agricultural policies.
6. Empowering Small and Marginal Farmers
Smallholder farmers often get left behind in the policy framework due to lack of records. The Farmer Registry recognizes every farmer, irrespective of land size, and ensures equal opportunity in accessing government support.
Key Features of the Farmer Registry Implementation:
The rollout of the Farmer Registry in Odisha involves several innovative steps:
- Farm Plot IDs – Each land plot is assigned a unique 14-digit Farm Plot Identification Number (FPIN), created by the State NIC using the Bhulekh database.
- Land Bucketing – A farmer’s multiple landholdings across villages are consolidated, making it easier to map ownership.
- Farmer Registration – Farmers register themselves using Aadhaar and RoR details through the Farmer Registry Portal of Odisha (https://odfr.agristack.gov.in/).
- Verification and Approval – Revenue Inspectors and Tehsildars verify claims, ensuring accuracy.
- Generation of Farmer IDs – Upon verification, each farmer is assigned a unique Farmer ID, which becomes the key to accessing services.
Supporting Farmers through Multiple Enrollment Modes:
To make the process farmer-friendly, three modes of enrollment have been provided:
- Camp Mode – Camps at Gram Panchayat offices where Village Agricultural Workers (VAWs), Agriculture Overseers, and Revenue Inspectors assist farmers.
- Self Mode – Farmers can register themselves online using their Aadhaar and land details.
- CSC Mode – Farmers can visit local Common Service Centres (Jan Seva Kendras) for assistance in registration.
This ensures that even farmers with limited digital literacy can enroll easily.
Challenges and Way Forward
While the Farmer Registry is a game-changer, there are challenges that need attention:
- Data Accuracy – Ensuring that land records, especially in rural areas with frequent inheritance and partition cases, are up-to-date.
- Digital Literacy – Supporting farmers who may not be comfortable with online systems.
- Connectivity Issues – Rural internet access remains a hurdle in some regions.
However, with capacity building, training of field officials, and robust monitoring, these challenges can be overcome. The state’s mission-mode approach, with camps planned across Odisha, reflects the government’s commitment to achieving 100% farmer registration.
Conclusion:
The Farmer Registry under the Agri Stack initiative is a landmark step toward transforming agriculture in Odisha and India at large. By creating a single, authentic digital identity for farmers, the Registry ensures transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity in agricultural governance.
For the farming community, it means easier access to schemes, faster credit, timely insurance claims, better market opportunities, and overall empowerment. For policymakers, it means data-driven decisions and reduced leakages.
As this initiative scales up across Odisha, it holds the promise of building a digitally empowered rural economy, where no farmer is left behind.
Author: Tapas Chandra Roy, Block Agriculture Officer, DA&FE, Govt. of Odisha. Documenting and disseminating success stories of farmers to inspire millions of farmers across India.
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