Govt To Launch 11th Agricultural Census In 2021-22, Using Tablets And Cellphones To Collect Data

The eleventh agricultural census, which will gather information on a variety of factors including operating holdings, was officially launched on Thursday by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The data will be gathered via smartphones and tablets for the first time.

According to a statement from the agriculture ministry, fieldwork for the Eleventh Agricultural Census (2021–22) will begin in August 2022. Every five years, the agriculture census is conducted; it is now being completed after a delay caused by the corona pandemic.

The ministry is putting its 1970–1971 farm census plan into action. The reference year used for the census' ninth iteration was 2015–16.The agricultural census is the primary source of data on a number of factors, including the quantity and size of operational holdings, their distribution by class, their land use, tenancy patterns, and cropping patterns, among other things. According to the ministry, data gathering for the agricultural census will be done for the first time on cellphones and tablets to ensure that it is completed on time.

The majority of states have digitalized their land records and surveys, which will speed up the gathering of information for the agricultural census. “The use of digitised land records and the use of mobile apps for data collection will enable the creation of a database of operational holdings in the country,” the statement said. According to Tomar, this calculation will have enormous advantages in a large, agricultural nation like India. According to the minister, the government's top priority is raising the income of farmers.

Additionally, he stated, "their style of life must be changed, and small farmers must be organised in order to empower them, draw them toward lucrative crops, and guarantee the quality of the output at par with global norms. Tomar remarked that the country is rapidly going towards digital agriculture. “This is the time to make full use of technology in this computation. He said that Agriculture Census should be thought of in a broader perspective. Agricultural computations can also contribute to the mapping of crops so that the country gets its benefits,” he said.

Tomar requested that the federal government, state governments, and other relevant organisations conduct this census with complete dedication. The minister also unveiled the "Data Collection Portal/App" and the "Handbook on Operational Guidelines for Census" for use by states and UTs.