Staff crunch causes delay in Digital Crop Survey in State

Khammam: The much-anticipated Digital Crop Survey, a key initiative aimed at transforming the agriculture sector across the country, has hit an unexpected roadblock in Khammam district. Despite being scheduled to begin earlier this week on Tuesday, AEO Association claims that the survey has been delayed due to a shortage of personnel in the department, raising concerns about the feasibility of the project.

Notably, Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) were trained and equipped with the necessary app to conduct the survey, which is critical for food security, crop insurance, and disaster management. However, the officers have reported being overwhelmed with an excessive workload, with 49 different responsibilities already on their plate. “We need additional support staff to complete the survey efficiently,” said a local AEO, who also highlighted that the survey is especially challenging in areas with large agricultural tracts.

It may be mentioned here that the Central government introduced the ‘Digital Agri Mission’ programme, which aims to develop Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the agricultural industry. The implementation will cost Rs 2,817 crores. Farmers will profit from the application of modern technologies, which will boost agricultural productivity. The goal is to work with the State governments and conduct the survey throughout the nation.

Focusing on Khammam and Bhadradri districts together these have 196 AEOs overseeing 11.56 lakh acres of farmland, with some clusters, such as the Komuraram cluster in Yellandu mandal, covering nearly 29,000 acres under a single officer. According to the AEO Association, at least 232 officers are required to manage the workload effectively across 5000 acres.

According to Srinivas Goud and Suresh Reddy, the Telangana state president and secretaries of the AEO Association, the situation while being less than a welcome one in Telangana, seems to have a different story in other neighbouring States.

“An agricultural assistant is appointed by the local administration to work in a community with 1,000–1,500 acres. Employees in Karnataka are contracted to conduct the survey. People with a background in agriculture in Tamil Nadu are hired on a regular basis. In Maharashtra and Odisha, private companies through a tender process hires the AEOs,” they said.

According to their statement, they are prepared to carry out the survey if the State government designates village agricultural assistants in accordance with directives from the federal government.

Until then, the ambitious project remains in limbo.