Govt launches Agri Census, to use technology for accuracy
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the 11th nationwide agricultural census (2021-22) on Thursday. Field work will begin next month. For the first time, the government is using technology and is also taking into account digital land registries to ensure better data accuracy.
Tomar said counting the data would bring huge benefits in a country as vast and agricultural as India, while urging officials to conduct the census with full dedication.
The agricultural census began in 1970-1971, and is conducted every 5 years. The last time it took place was in 2015-16. Data collection cannot start in time for 11 y The tour after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The main challenge
The main challenge of the census will be to correctly estimate the number of farmers in the country as all fiscal policies and allocations depend on it. As per the latest census, the number of farmers was estimated at Rs 14.65 crore based on operational land holdings. In many states, the estimated number of farmers was found to be much less than the actual number, which emerged after the launch of the PM-Kisan Scheme which is based on Aadhaar related verification of landowning farmers.
For example, the census put operational holdings at 10.93 lakh while PM-Kisan data shows that there are 23.76 lakh, which excluded non-eligible farmers.
The government emphasized that the basis for data collection will continue to be on operating holdings and not on ownership. The Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement that for the first time, data will be collected via smartphones and tablets.
“Since infusing the technology into crop insurance yielded better results, the government decided to use it in the census process as well. The use of drones and validation of digital land records will help reduce manual discrepancies in data as well as full evidence of Statistical methodology.
Income increase
The agricultural census is the main source of information on a variety of parameters, such as number, area, operational holdings and their size, stratification, land use, rent and cropping pattern.
“The use of digital land records and the use of mobile applications for data collection will enable the creation of a database of operational holdings in the country,” the statement said. The minister said the government is focusing on increasing farmers’ income.
“Besides, there is a need to change their standard of living and organize small farmers in order to empower them and attract them towards profitable crops and ensure product quality in line with global standards,” he said, adding that the country is fast moving towards digital agriculture.
Tomar said the agricultural census should be thought of in a broader perspective because it can also contribute to crop mapping. Issued the “Census Operational Instructions Manual” for the use of States and Union Territories during the launch of the “Data Collection Portal/Application”.