New Delhi: The government has created 11 crore Farmer IDs, achieving the target five months ahead of the 31 March, 2027 deadline. The milestone was reached by the night of 23 October, 2026, under the Digital Agriculture Mission of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the achievement would help make agricultural services more accessible and reduce the paperwork involved in accessing government support.
The Farmer ID initiative gives farmers a unique digital identity intended to simplify access to government schemes, bank credit, crop insurance and disaster relief. It is also designed to reduce repeated document verification and improve transparency in the delivery of benefits.
Farmer ID to Simplify Access to Schemes
Chouhan said farmers often have to submit the same documents to different government departments and banks to access benefits. The digital identity system is expected to reduce these procedural hurdles.
Key areas where the system is expected to help include:
Agricultural credit: Farmer IDs can simplify verification for bank loans and Kisan Credit Card applications.
Crop insurance: Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, digital records are intended to support more transparent assessment and settlement of eligible claims.
Disaster relief: Verified farmer records can help authorities identify eligible beneficiaries and speed up assistance.
MSP procurement: Digital records can improve transparency in procurement and help ensure payments reach eligible farmers.
The system is intended to make service delivery more efficient while reducing the scope for duplication and errors.
More Than 6 Crore Farmers Have Received Benefits
The Digital Agriculture Mission received Union Cabinet approval on 2 September, 2024. It aims to build digital public infrastructure for agriculture, including a verified database of farmers that can be linked with agricultural services and government schemes.
According to the ministry, more than 6 crore farmers have received direct benefits under various schemes through the Farmer ID-based service delivery system.
The government expects the linked database to improve coordination between departments, reduce duplicate verification and support the monitoring and implementation of agricultural schemes.
Centre and States Worked Together to Meet Target
Chouhan credited the achievement to coordination between the Central Government, state governments, Union Territory administrations and field-level officials. He described the effort as an example of cooperative federalism and thanked teams involved in registering farmers across the country.
States and Union Territories are also working to include tenant farmers and actual cultivators on the platform, subject to applicable rules. The stated aim is to ensure that eligible farmers are not excluded from welfare and support programmes.
Digital Agriculture Mission Focuses on Farmer Registry
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is continuing work on the Farmer Registry as part of its wider digital agriculture programme. The registry is intended to provide a verified identity that can be used across agricultural services, reducing the need for farmers to repeatedly establish their details when applying for benefits.
The government sees the 11-crore milestone as a step towards expanding technology-led delivery of agricultural services. Chouhan urged farmers to use digital facilities and access the schemes for which they are eligible.
