PANAJI
The Goa government has initiated the process of building a digital backbone for agriculture with a dedicated AGRISTACK cell under the Directorate of Agriculture.
A notification issued by Director of Agriculture Chandrahas Desai said the new cell will spearhead the implementation of AGRISTACK, the Government of India’s flagship digital agriculture infrastructure programme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
The AGRISTACK cell will function under the overall supervision of the Director of Agriculture and will be headed by a Deputy Director of Agriculture. It will operate as a specialised unit to coordinate digital agriculture initiatives across the State.
The six-member structure brings together officials from multiple departments. Besides the Director of AGRISTACK, the team will include representatives from the Revenue Department, Directorate of Agriculture and the National Informatics Centre (NIC). A State Project Management Unit from Goa Electronics Limited and a dedicated help desk will provide technical and operational support.
The Revenue Department representative, an Additional Collector, will oversee geo-referenced maps and the farmers’ registry. The NIC officer designated as Chief Technology Officer will handle data integration and management, while the Agriculture Department will coordinate mission activities.
According to the notification, the AGRISTACK cell will function independently and be funded under the Digital Agriculture head. Officials from various departments will be placed on working arrangement with the cell, while project management and help desk personnel will work as full-time staff.
The government has also approved an honorarium equivalent to five per cent of basic pay for officials entrusted with additional responsibilities in the cell.
Among its key responsibilities, the AGRISTACK cell will conduct digital crop surveys during both kharif and rabi seasons, generate unique farmer IDs, and create the digital infrastructure required for implementing welfare schemes such as assured price support and crop compensation.
The cell will also focus on maintaining dynamic land records and will continuously update geo-referenced village maps. In addition, it will serve as a permanent centre for training, capacity building, grievance redressal and help desk operations related to digital agriculture.
The initiative is expected to strengthen data-driven governance in agriculture and improve delivery of farmer welfare schemes across Goa.
