Shivraj Singh Chouhan.Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
The Farmer ID initiative is designed to provide farmers with a unique digital identity, enabling transparent, efficient and timely access to government schemes, bank credit, crop insurance and disaster relief, while reducing paperwork and repeated verification
New Delhi: In a major milestone for digital agriculture, the government has achieved its target of creating 11 crore Farmer IDs, five months ahead of the March 31, 2027 deadline, said Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The milestone has been achieved under the Digital Agriculture Mission implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
The Farmer ID initiative is designed to provide farmers with a unique digital identity, enabling transparent, efficient and timely access to government schemes, bank credit, crop insurance and disaster relief, while reducing paperwork and repeated verification.
Reduced paperwork and more transparent delivery of benefits
Chouhan said the Farmer ID system would significantly reduce the need for farmers to repeatedly visit government offices and banks or submit the same documents for different schemes.
Earlier, farmers often had to provide documents repeatedly to access various benefits, resulting in a loss of both time and money. With Farmer IDs, access to several key services is expected to become simpler and more transparent.
Bank loans and Kisan Credit Card: The loan process will become easier, reducing the need for repeated document verification.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: In the event of natural disasters or crop losses, the assessment of compensation and its disbursement will be carried out through a more transparent process, with payments made directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
Disaster relief assistance: Relief during emergencies will reach genuine and eligible farmers more quickly.
Crop procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP): The digital system will help eliminate the role of intermediaries in the procurement process and ensure that farmers receive the full value due for their produce.
The initiative is intended to strengthen transparency and accountability in agricultural service delivery, ensuring that eligible farmers can access government support with fewer procedural hurdles.
More than 6 crore farmers have already received benefits
The Digital Agriculture Mission was launched following the Union Cabinet’s approval on September 2, 2024. The Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) being developed under the mission is already showing results on the ground.
Through the Farmer ID-based service delivery system, more than 6 crore farmers across the country have so far received direct benefits under various schemes. Linking a verified farmer database with agricultural services is helping eliminate fraud and the need for duplicate verification. It has also improved coordination among government departments and strengthened policy formulation and the monitoring of schemes, making it easier to track their implementation and delivery of benefits.
Technology to transform Indian agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare remains committed to strengthening the Farmer Registry in line with the principle of Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.