What is AgriStack, which FM Nirmala Sitharaman has termed as the ‘next UPI’?

In her Budget Speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), a multilingual AI tool to integrate the AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems. She reiterated the need for this tool in an interview with The Indian Express, while describing Digital Agristack as “one of the next UPI” initiatives. AgriStack was launched in 2024 as part of the Centre’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Mission in the agriculture sector to consolidate data on a single platform. This will enhance farm productivity, enable better decisions for farmers and reduce risk by providing customised advisory support. ## What is AgriStack? AgriStack is a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the farm sector, an initiative under the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM), and was approved by the Union Cabinet in September, 2024. The AgriStack comprises three foundational registries or databases in the agriculture sector: the Farmer Registry, Geo-referenced village maps and the Crop Sown Registry, all created and maintained by the State Governments or Union Territories. Each farmer is issued a unique digital identity (similar to Aadhaar), with details of their landholding and crops grown per area. Which are the three foundational registries on which the AgriStack is built? The foundational registries on which the AgriStack is built are as follows. 1. Farmer Registry Under the AgriStack, farmers are given a digital identity (Farmer ID) similar to Aadhaar, which are linked dynamically to the State’s land records, livestock ownership, crops sown, demographic details, family details, schemes and benefits availed. The government aims to create digital identities for 11 crore farmers, of which 8.62 crore have been created so far. The Centre has allocated financial support to states to create their respective registries under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25. Among the states that have seen a faster pace of Farmer ID generation are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. With the creation of the farmers’ registry, a farmer would be able to access benefits and services digitally, obviating cumbersome paperwork and with little to no need to physically visit offices or service providers, said a source. The Centre aims to complete the Farmer Registry with dynamic Records of Rights (RoR) synchronisation by March 2027. In the North Eastern States, the target was set to March 2028. 2. Crop Sown Registry The Crop Sown Registry includes details on crops planted by farmers. This is recorded through mobile-based Digital Crop Surveys on the ground each season. A pilot on the Digital Crop Survey was conducted in 11 states to develop the Crop Sown Registry in 2023-24. The government targets to cover all 30 crore farm plots in 604 districts in the country by the Kharif season 2026. More than 70% of the plots in the targeted villages have already been covered under the Crop Sown Registry initiative in 15 states—Chhattisgarh, Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir. 3. Geo-referenced Village Maps data The Geo-referenced Village Map Registry comprises geographic information of land records linked with their locations (latitudes and longitudes). So far, 5.4 lakh village maps have been geo-referenced out of the total 6.75 lakh villages. The target is to cover all villages by March 2027. ## How will the AgriStack-enabled Digital Solutions help Farmers? The government aims to integrate AgriStack Registries with all its major agricultural schemes and services, including Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Minimum Support Price (MSP)-based procurement, fertiliser distribution, loans, insurance, storage, and advisory services, in a phased manner. Some states have already taken initiatives in this direction. For instance, states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have demonstrated how Farmer Registry/DCS-linked platforms have enabled faster approvals, reduced documentation for MSP-based procurement/Fertilizer distribution, and leak-proof DBT. Similarly, the government has started using Farmer ID for registration of new farmers under PM KISAN, while some states are using it for enrolment of farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). In Madhya Pradesh, the AgriStack-enabled fertiliser distribution model has been tried to address artificial shortages, inequitable access, and diversion. In Maharashtra, the AgriStack was used to disburse KCC loans on a pilot basis. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More