The age-wise analysis of the data shows that around 15% of these 11 crore farmers were 70 years of age or older, while 7.5% were below 30 years. (File Photo)The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare said on Saturday that it has reached its target of creating 11 crore Farmer IDs five months ahead of its scheduled deadline of March 31, 2027.“In a major milestone for digital agriculture, the Government of India has achieved its target of creating 11 crore Farmer IDs, five months ahead of the March 31, 2027 deadline,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Farmer ID system would significantly reduce the need for farmers to repeatedly visit government offices and banks or submit the same documents for availing different schemes.The Farmer ID is an Aadhaar-like unique digital identity that is linked dynamically to the State’s land records, and has information like demographic, crop sown, ownership details, etc.The database created through the Farmer IDs is known as Farmers’ Registry. It serves as one of the three core registries under the Agri-Stack component of the Union Government’s Digital Agriculture Mission – a digital public infrastructure initiative for the farm sector that was approved by the Union Cabinet on September 2, 2024.The other two registries under the Agri-Stack are Geo-referenced Village Maps and Crop Sown Registry.According to ministry sources, 26% of 11 crore registered farmers, who have been provided Farmers’ ID are women. Of the total 11 crore farmers, approximately 81% belong to marginal and small operational-holding categories.Story continues below this adThe age-wise analysis of the data shows that around 15% of these 11 crore farmers were 70 years of age or older, while 7.5% were below 30 years. “The majority of the farmers lie between 30-70 years of age,” a source said.Discussing the further progress of the Farmer ID initiative, the source said that an important emerging priority is inclusion of actual cultivators who may not be recorded as landowners.“Already 28,680 cultivators, including eligible tenants and sharecroppers, have been registered in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Assam as per the State-decided mechanism for identification of cultivators, such as tenants and sharecroppers,” the source said.“Additionally, 3,14,298 Forest Rights holder registrations have been recorded across Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura,” the source added.Story continues below this adExplaining various applications of the Farmer’ IDs, the source said that integration of Agri-Stack with AI, satellite data, weather forecasts, etc. can enable more accurate crop production forecasts and improved food security planning, personalised agricultural advisories, better market intelligence, and faster disaster response.Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More Tags:agriculture