Sikkim launches digital farmers’ registry, reaffirms commitment to organic farming

The Sikkim government has launched a major digital agriculture initiative aimed at creating a unified database of farmers through a unique Farmers’ ID system, while reiterating its commitment to maintaining the State’s status as India’s first fully organic state.

The initiative was launched during a Training-cum-Live Demonstration programme on the Farmers’ Registry Mobile Application under AgriStack, organised by the Agriculture Department at the SAMETI Hall in the ICAR Complex.

Addressing reporters, Sikkim Agriculture Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Jigmee Dorjee Bhutia said the Farmers’ Registry would help bring all farmers in the State onto a single digital platform, simplifying access to government services and improving agricultural governance.

“Digital agriculture is a new step that the Government of Sikkim is implementing. The biggest contribution we can make for our farmers right now is to issue them a unique Farmers’ ID and bring them into this digitised process,” he said.

According to the Agriculture Department, Sikkim has around 65,000 farmers cultivating nearly 75,000 hectares of land. The new system will create a digital profile for each farmer by integrating Aadhaar details, bank account information and land ownership records.

Officials said the initiative would reduce paperwork and enable farmers to access government schemes and services more efficiently. The digital registry is also expected to streamline crop insurance claims, direct benefit transfers, subsidy distribution and access to agricultural inputs such as seeds, bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides.

Bhutia said the database would help the department analyse cropping patterns and formulate targeted support programmes. He added that the project requires close coordination between the Agriculture Department and the Land Revenue Department and that implementation began soon after the customised software was made available.

The department is also planning to introduce a self-registration facility within the next one to two months to encourage wider participation among farmers.

Highlighting the State’s organic farming achievements, Bhutia said Sikkim continues to uphold its status as a 100 per cent organic state, a recognition it received in 2016.

“Organic Sikkim is a premium brand and a matter of pride for us. The State government continues to provide full support to maintain organic certification without any compromise,” he said.

The Commissioner-cum-Secretary also welcomed the Rs 350-crore development package recently announced for Sikkim by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), of which around Rs 56 crore has been earmarked for the agriculture sector.

The funds will be used to strengthen agricultural production and marketing infrastructure. As part of the initiative, the government plans to establish 30 pilot aggregation centres across districts, with a long-term target of setting up 190 such centres. The centres will also include Internal Control System facilities to help farmers complete organic certification processes closer to their farms.