In a progressive move, the Bihar state agriculture department has commenced a digital survey of crops, employing app-based technology to collect comprehensive data on crop varieties, seasonal cultivation, and agricultural patterns. The initiative aims to facilitate better marketing of agricultural produce, offer improved crop insurance to farmers during calamities, and strengthen overall agricultural planning.
The digital survey was inaugurated in Badhshahpur, Sheikhpura, in the presence of district magistrate J Priyadarshini and senior agriculture officials from the district and the state. The app-based survey is a result of collaboration between the Union agriculture ministry, Bihar state agriculture department, and the Revenue and Land Reforms department.
In the initial phase, five districts—Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Munger, Lakhisarai, and Jehanabad—have been selected for the digital survey during the Rabi season. The survey, conducted through an app-based system, will cover 831 villages as part of a pilot project.
A senior agriculture officer explained that cadastral maps would be utilized to survey each plot of land, identifying the type of crop sown. This data, systematically organized into a database, will provide valuable insights into the nature of crops cultivated at the micro-level, aiding the state agriculture department in formulating policies, implementing schemes, and enhancing marketing strategies for agricultural products.
Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, the agriculture department secretary, emphasized that the digital crop survey would not only benefit farmers directly but also contribute to the effective implementation of various agricultural schemes, ultimately fostering increased agricultural production.
