Agriculture census to be paperless, on android-based mobile app

PANJIM: Goa is all set to conduct its first-ever paperless agriculture census wherein the entire process of collecting and collating census data will be completely digital – through an Android-based mobile app. The one and half year long census exercise that will be conducted in three phases covering all 426 census villages- will commence from January 5, 2023. 

This will be the 11th Census with reference year 2021-22 (July 2021 to June 2022) which was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Famers Welfare conduct agriculture census quinquennially (every 5 years) across India. The 10th edition of the census was conducted in the year 2015-16. 

The upcoming census will give a clear picture of the tall claims of successive Pramod Sawant led government with regards to agriculture sector reaping the fruits of concrete steps taken by his government. 

The Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation (DPSE) is the Nodal implementing agency for conducting the agriculture census in Goa. Secretary of Agriculture is appointed as the Agriculture Census Commissioner for the smooth and timely conduct of the census.

Speaking to Herald, Director DPSE Vijay Saxena said that unlike previous censuses, this census is being conducted by using Mobile app. “For the first time, digitized land records will be used for collection of data through mobile app. He said that State has fully digitized their land records, which will accelerate the collection of agriculture census data,” he said. 

Saxena said that the use of digitized land records and the use of mobile apps for data collection will enable the creation of a database of operational holdings in the State. He said that the first phase of the census will commence from January 5 and go on till March, 2023. 

“In the current agriculture census, the number of operational holdings and area operated is expected to increase as the current government has been vigorously providing various agriculture related schemes to farmers,” he said adding, “Swayampurna Mitras have put in hard work to take each and every scheme related to agriculture to the doors of the farmers.” 

The total number of operational holdings and area operated recorded during previous census 2015-16, were 74,563 numbers and 82,085 hectare, respectively. 

Total 500 staff from various departments is roped in for the field work.