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Seed digital agriculture now, reap a harvest of high growth

Context:

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.

Digital Agriculture's Importance and Challenges

  • Empowering Agriculture through Technology: Digital agriculture (DA) addresses agricultural challenges through technology and aims to benefit small farmers.
  • Potential Benefits and Existing Challenges: DA can boost productivity, market access, and resilience to climate change but faces issues like accessibility and digital literacy.
  • Digital Agriculture's Role in India's Agricultural Growth: India's agriculture sector is vital, and DA can play a role in its growth, with the global DA market projected to reach $22.1 billion by 2028.

Initiatives and Potential of Digital Agriculture

  • Government and Startups' Tech-Driven Initiatives: The government and startups have initiated DA projects using advanced technologies, like AI and blockchain, to assist farmers.
  • Challenges in Digital Agriculture Implementation: Data inconsistencies and lack of access hinder DA's potential, calling for data standardization and sharing policies.
  • Meeting Diverse Stakeholder Needs in Digital Agriculture: Stakeholders, including farmers, extension agents, and regulators, have diverse needs, requiring a unified digital solution and investment in infrastructure and capacity building.

Path Forward for Digital Agriculture in India

  • Involvement of stakeholders’: DA's success depends on technology accessibility, affordability, supportive policies, and collaboration among stakeholders.
  • Inclusion of Digital Public infrastructure: A unified platform, like an AgriStack, and the inclusion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can benefit farmers and agri-tech growth.
  • Collaboration among research organizations: and technology platforms are crucial for developing digital tools for Indian agriculture.
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