BHUBANESWAR : Amid concerns that digital AgriStack ID registration would exclude vulnerable farmers and sharecroppers from the paddy procurement process, an inter-ministerial committee headed by deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo on Monday clarified that it was not mandatory and no farmer will be deprived from selling his produce.
The inter-ministerial committee announced that there is no requirement for an AgriStack ID to register for paddy procurement and farmers can complete the registration even without it.
The committee was informed that till now 94,657 farmers have already registered to sell paddy for kharif 2026-27, with Balasore district recording the highest number of registrations. Besides, to prevent misinformation regarding registration and paddy procurement, awareness drives are being launched at the sub-division and gram panchayat levels.
It was also decided that village agricultural workers (VAWs) will assist farmers with their applications and directives have been issued to ensure farmers receive a registration receipt upon applying. Two types of registration slips are being provided to the farmers. One with AgriStack and another without and both are valid, officials said.
The inter-ministerial committee also reviewed procurement of paddy in the 2025-26 rabi season. The review revealed that more than 20.46 lakh tonne of paddy have been procured from 3,63,553 farmers against over 19.18 lakh tonne procured in the corresponding period last year. As of today, `4,844 crore has been disbursed to the farmers towards MSP and input assistance.
The committee was informed that around six lakh farmers have so far registered for the AgriStack identity cards. At the end of the registration process which is open till October, AgriStack identity cards will be given to the farmers. The digital identity cards will link demographic data and land records to streamline access to agricultural subsidies, crop insurance, and institutional credit.
While the registration is currently being carried out through cooperative societies across the state, steps are being taken to ensure that the farmers who are unable to visit the societies for any reason are not left out. Government officials will visit farmers at their houses or other convenient locations for registration.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari told mediapersons that farmers would not face difficulties in completing the registration process. He also said that the registration deadline would be extended if necessary. “The state government is fully committed to ensure that no farmer in Odisha is excluded from selling their paddy crop,” he said.
