- Why in news
- On 29 January 2026, the Agriculture Ministry held a National Workshop on AgriStack and AI in Agriculture in New Delhi. It followed up on action points from the 5th Conference of Chief Secretaries (26–28 December 2025).
- What it is
- AgriStack is the Digital Public Infrastructure for agriculture, run by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare. It is built as a federated database of farmers and their land, so that schemes and services can be targeted and delivered digitally. It rests on three registries: Farmer Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps and Crop Sown Registry.
- Nature
- AgriStack is described as a foundational, federated and interoperable digital infrastructure for agriculture, meant to improve targeting, transparency and efficiency.
- Kharif 2026 target
- Farmer IDs, geo-referencing of land and Digital Crop Survey in all districts are to be completed by Kharif 2026.
- Dynamic updating
- The Farmer Registry is to be updated whenever the Records of Rights (RoR) change.
- Institutional set-up
- States are urged to create AgriStack Commissionerates or Directorates, supported by Project Management Units.
- Integration scope
- AgriStack is to be integrated across DBT, inputs, credit, insurance, storage and procurement.
- Three registries
- AgriStack comprises the Farmer Registry, the Geo-referenced Village Maps and the Crop Sown Registry.
Don’t confuse with AgriStack vs Agri-Stack Digital Agriculture Mission: AgriStack is the data infrastructure (registries). The Digital Agriculture Mission is the wider programme under which it is funded and promoted.
Don’t confuse with Farmer ID vs PM-KISAN beneficiary record: Farmer ID is a unique digital identity in the Farmer Registry linked to land records. PM-KISAN is an income-support scheme that can use it for targeting.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Reliable farmer and land data can improve targeting of DBT, credit, insurance and procurement, and reduce leakages.
- Crop-level data supports AI-based advisories and better disaster relief.
Problems
- Land records are often outdated or disputed, and tenant farmers may be left out of the registry.
- Weak State capacity, data privacy concerns and the digital divide can limit coverage and trust.
Way forward
- Keep records current through dynamic updating and include tenants and sharecroppers.
- Build strong data protection rules and State-level institutions with trained staff.
Put in your answer
Time-bound target: Saturation of Farmer IDs, land geo-referencing and Digital Crop Survey is set for Kharif 2026.
State use-cases: States showcased AgriStack in MSP procurement, fertiliser supply chains, disaster relief and DBT.
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q4How Digital India helps farmers improve productivity and income; government steps taken
- 2023Mains GS3 · Q3How e-Technology helps farmers in production and marketing of produce
- 2026Mains GS1 · Q15Role of satellite technologies in climate-smart agriculture and food security
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting digital agriculture infrastructure (Farmer ID, digital crop survey); workshop item gives action points but few hard facts for a question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.