Digital India can revolutionise agriculture by addressing various structural deficiencies. Discuss.
Digital India stands for “IT+IT=IT” (i.e Indian talent + Information technology = India for tomorrow). Digital India can aid in revamping of the agriculture by addressing various structural deficiencies. Digital India can transform Indian agriculture into Digital agriculture by:
- Better Forecasting: The IMDs weather forecasts have rarely reached farmers. As a result the impact of the weather is never a criterion is deciding the cropping pattern. The effective transmission of forecasts of IMD to the framers can aid in making informed choices about the cropping pattern. The Information and communication technology (ICT) can aid India in digitising agriculture.
- Agriculture Extension: There has been a wide gulf between scientists, agricultural universities and farmers. Digital India can aid in bridging the gaps. Initiatives like Mera Goan Mera Garv can be more effective with Digital India.
- Smart agriculture: Globally farmers use Internet of Things and smart sensors to get access to valuable information like soil moisture, nutrient levels, temperature of produce in storage and status of farming equipment. This is Smart agriculture. Digital India can aid farmers in better managing of agricultural practices and switching to smart agriculture.
- Price realization: Presence of large number of intermediaries and middle men is adversely affecting the farmers income. ICT can aid in better price discovery by aiding farmers in better understanding of market dynamics.
- Insurance: Farm Insurance can be more effective if its farm based rather than the present area based under Pradhan Mantri fasal bima Yojana. Digital India can aid in transition to farm based insurance for farmers to protect them against any localized calamities.
India for tomorrow needs smart agriculture to ensure both food security and nutritional security. Digital India can pull agriculture out of stagnation and strengthen it by addressing various structural deficiencies.