The science of digital agriculture (DA) has been gaining prominence. What’s driving it is the need to address the growing challenges in agriculture through new technologies that can improve last-mile delivery to small farmers. DA aims to bring agriculturists and digital technologists together to that end.
Digital agriculture has a significant role to play in increasing the productivity and profitability of farms, strengthening access to diverse marketing channels, and increasing resilience to climate change. The science of DA offers a range of solutions including smart farming techniques, precision agriculture, data-driven decision support, and financial services. However, most DA technologies are not yet sufficiently accessible to farmers and extension workers. There are still big gaps that need attention, including access to digital infrastructure and digital literacy of farmers.
India’s agricultural sector is of utmost importance as it provides livelihood to almost three-fifths of the country’s population and contributes over a fifth of its gross domestic product. According to the Niti Aayog, the agriculture sector must grow by at least four percent for the nation’s economy to grow at eight to ten percent. DA can help achieve this growth. Some other countries are already making use of it. The global DA market is projected to grow at a compounded rate of 9.6 percent to reach $22.1 billion by 2028.
The government has taken several initiatives to promote DA such as the Digital Agriculture Mission 2021-25, which encourages projects based on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, remote sensing, robotics and drones. Schemes such as the National Mission on Horticulture, India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture framework, and the National Agriculture Market have been launched. Startups are offering farmers digital tools to manage their crops better, such as mobile apps, e-commerce services, crop advisories, financial services and market linkages. The use of data-driven algorithms are bringing automation to farm management. Recent developments in 5G telecommunications can accelerate the use of DA technologies. Under India’s G20 presidency, one of the focuses has been on strengthening the DA ecosystem and developing the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
Data inconsistencies, projects working in silos, and lack of access are holding back DA’s potential. Disparate data sources and non-standardised collection methods lead to inaccurate, outdated and duplicate data. The lack of trust in data hampers analysis and decision-making. Public players, private players and research institutes must pool data and integrate them in a standardised format. Agriculture experts are calling for a revolution in data management to enhance practices and improve productivity. To ensure accelerated technology adoption, data-sharing policies and ethics need strengthening.
The major stakeholders in the agri-ecosystem are farmers, agri-extension systems, research organisations, startups, market supply chain actors for inputs and outputs, government regulators, financial institutions and consumers. The requirements of each stakeholder are different but interdependent. Farmers need location-specific information on financial support, seeds, weather advisory, plant protection, and market linkages. Extension agents require easy-to-use applications to get all the information on the package of practices, development schemes and mobile data collection, while market players need data products on crop coverage, input demands and yield forecast. Regulators or policymakers need macro-level real-time information on the status of different farming activities. Financial institutions seek information for deciding the insurance and credit products.
A unified digital solution supported by digital public infrastructure for agriculture needs to be implemented. These solutions should include technological advances in big data analytics, digital mobile tools for crop production and protection, and advisories for climate-smart agriculture. Other imperatives are information and communication technologies which can help innovative extension services and agri-market access reach farmers, farmer producer organisations, extension workers, and NGOs. Development of tools for carbon farming, fintech products, farmer profiling, business models, data privacy and ethics are issues to be addressed from the investment and policy perspectives for digital agriculture.
The development of DA needs to be supported by providing funds for infrastructure and seed support to startups, easing regulatory compliances, and investing in capacity-building programmes. Policy initiatives are required to increase investments in new areas such as carbon credits and to address ethics related to digital data, with the government playing a key enabler’s role in the digital ecosystem. Regulators should develop guidelines for deploying digital tools in agriculture.
A common platform for all agricultural activities, such as an AgriStack, would benefit all stakeholders. Inclusion of DPI will provide farmer-centric solutions through relevant information services on soils and crops, improved access to farm inputs, credit and insurance services that will help in market intelligence and support for growth of the agri-tech industry in the country. Collaboration among technology platforms and research organisations such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Indian Council for Agricultural Research Institutes, and Indian Institutes of Technology, etc., is necessary to develop digital tools for Indian agriculture.
Digital agriculture in India will not only benefit farmers but also contribute to the country’s economic growth. Its success will depend on access and affordability of technologies, ease of operations, maintenance of systems, and supportive government policies. That’s asking for a lot. But it has the potential to transform India’s agriculture and quest for sustainable growth.
Dr Monoranjan Mohanty
Adviser, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, GOI
Dr M L Jat
Global Research Programme Director, International Crops Research Institute
for the Semi-Arid Tropics