Cabinet Approves Digital Agri Mission, Fertilizer Scarcity Plagues Farming

On 2 Sep, the Indian Union Cabinet approved the Digital Agriculture Mission and six other agricultural schemes, with a total allocation of over $1.68B. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the $340M Digital Agriculture Mission, which will implement Agri Stack, a system combining farmers’ registries, land maps, crop data, and Krishi (farmers) Decision Support Systems with geospatial data, weather updates, groundwater information, and crop yield modeling. Additionally, $278M will go to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for modernizing agricultural education in line with the New Education Policy 2020. In terms of livestock, $204M will be invested in improving animal health and veterinary education. Other approved programs include Sustainable Development of Horticulture at $103M, strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendra (farmer science centers) at $144M, Natural Resource Management at $133M, and $482M for the Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security program. On 3 Sep, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the AgriSURE Fund – Agri Fund for Start-ups & Rural Enterprises at $90.5M. The AgriSURE Fund is expected to drive further investments and innovative solutions, boosting the rural economy and improving the lives of farmers across India. Meanwhile, facing an acute shortage of DiAmmonium Phosphate (DAP), a crucial fertilizer for sowing winter crops like wheat and mustard, the Panjab govt. has issued an urgent appeal to the union govt. Panjab fears the union govt. may prioritize DAP supplies to Haryana ahead of elections, leaving Panjab short. CM Mann has written to Union Fertilizer Minister J.P. Nadda, stressing the need for 550K MT of DAP for sowing wheat across 3.5M hectares (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 31, Story 2).