PIB Summary- 12th February, 2025 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Digital Agriculture Mission

Introduction

• Approved by the Government on 2nd September 2024 with an outlay of ₹2817 crore.
• ₹54.972 crore allocated for FY 2025-26; funds released based on state proposals.
• Aims to create a robust digital ecosystem for agriculture, improving access to farmer-centric digital solutions and real-time crop-related data.

Components of the Mission

• Encompasses various IT-driven initiatives by Central and State Governments.
• Includes Agristack, Krishi Decision Support System, Comprehensive Soil Fertility & Profile Map, and other digital innovations.

B. Agristack: Core Digital Initiative

• Aims to establish a structured agricultural database for improved decision-making.
• Comprises three foundational registries:
  • Farmers’ Registry – Digital database of farmers’ demographic details.
  • Geo-referenced Village Maps – Mapping of agricultural land parcels.
  • Crop Sown Registry – Real-time data on crops sown across various regions.
• Maintained by State Governments/UTs with central administrative and technical support.

C. Benefits of Agristack

• Farmer Authentication: Helps farmers digitally verify their identities for accessing government benefits.
• Access to Credit & Insurance: Facilitates loans, insurance, and procurement services.
• Market Linkages: Supports online transactions for purchase and sale of inputs and produce in a trust-based digital environment.

Integration with National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)

• e-NAM is a virtual platform integrating physical wholesale markets (mandis) across India.
• Enables transparent price discovery and ensures better prices for farmers.
• As of December 31, 2024:
  • 1410 mandis integrated across 23 States and 4 UTs.
  • Facilitates online agricultural commodity trading at a national scale.

Challenges and Way Forward

• Data Privacy Concerns: Ensuring farmer data security and preventing misuse.
• Digital Divide: Limited access to smartphones and internet in rural areas.
• Interoperability Issues: Need for seamless integration between different state and central digital platforms.
• Infrastructure Bottlenecks: Connectivity issues, especially in remote agricultural regions.

B. Potential Solutions

• Strengthening Cybersecurity: Implement robust data protection mechanisms.
• Digital Literacy Programs: Train farmers on using digital platforms effectively.
• Enhancing Rural Connectivity: Expand broadband access in agricultural belts.
• Harmonizing Data Standards: Ensure uniformity across state and central databases.

Conclusion

• The Digital Agriculture Mission is a transformative step toward modernizing India’s agriculture sector.
• Agristack and e-NAM are key enablers for data-driven decision-making, financial inclusion, and market accessibility for farmers.

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

Overview

• Highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals like cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and pigs.
• Causes fever, blisters on the mouth and feet, and can lead to severe economic losses.
• Although it has low mortality in adults, it severely affects productivity (milk yield, growth rate, and fertility).

Relevance : GS 3
Economic and Agricultural Impact:

• Reduces milk production and meat quality, leading to financial losses for farmers.
• Affects trade due to restrictions on livestock exports from infected areas.
• Requires intensive control measures, including mass vaccination and surveillance.

National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) (2019)

• Objective: To control and eradicate FMD through vaccination and animal tracking.
• Funding: 100% central assistance to States/UTs for FMD vaccination.
• Integration: Included under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) since 2021.

Components of NADCP

• Quality vaccines procured and distributed centrally.
• Ear-tagging of vaccinated animals for tracking.
• Financial support for vaccination accessories and cold chain infrastructure.

Monitoring and Data Management:

• Livestock registration and vaccination data uploaded on Bharat Pashudhan portal.
• Seromonitoring & serosurveillance conducted to track vaccine efficacy.

Capacity Building & Awareness:

• Financial aid to research institutions (ICAR-NIFMD, ICAR-IVRI, NIVEDI, etc.).
• Awareness programs for farmers and stakeholders.

FMD-Free Zone Approach

• Concept: Creating disease-free zones to improve control measures.
• Current Focus States (9 states):
  • Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand.
  • Expansion based on state-specific requirements.

Progress & Achievements under NADCP

• Total FMD vaccinations under NADCP (Till Jan 2025): 107.34 crore

Reduction in Disease Incidence

• Over 60% reduction in FMD outbreaks since NADCP launch.
• Outbreaks are now sporadic, with fewer animals affected.

Effectiveness of Vaccination Programme

• Seromonitoring Results: Indicate increasing protective immunity.
• Serosurveillance: Shows a decreasing trend of infection risk.

Review Mechanism & Policy Coordination

• Regular meetings to assess vaccination and control measures.
• 17th August 2024: National review meeting for “FMD-Mukt Bharat”.
• Regional reviews conducted twice a year.

State-specific Action Plans: Address local challenges in vaccination and monitoring.

Challenges in FMD Eradication

• Ensuring full vaccine coverage across rural and remote areas.
• Maintaining cold chain infrastructure for vaccine potency.

Disease Surveillance:

• Need for real-time monitoring and rapid response to outbreaks.
• Improving coordination among veterinary health workers.

Farmer Awareness & Participation:

• Addressing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
• Increasing participation in tracking and reporting livestock health.

Future Directions

• AI-based disease tracking via Bharat Pashudhan portal.
• Expanding seromonitoring for vaccine efficacy evaluation.

Expanding FMD-Free Zones:

• Gradual inclusion of more states under the special focus category.
• Strengthening cross-border surveillance to prevent re-introduction.

Boosting Research & Development:

• Development of more effective vaccines.
• Collaborative research on new diagnostic techniques for early detection.

Conclusion

• NADCP has significantly reduced FMD outbreaks, demonstrating the success of mass vaccination, monitoring, and policy interventions.
• Continued efforts in disease surveillance, awareness, and research are essential for achieving FMD-Mukt Bharat.