Maharashtra permits offline crop registration for 70 lakh farmers amid digital app glitches

MUMBAI — The Maharashtra state revenue department has permitted offline crop registration through the e-ferfar system for farmers facing technical glitches with the Centre’s Digital Crop Survey mobile application.

According to an official statement on Saturday, approximately 70 lakh farmers in the state who encountered technical hurdles with the mobile application can now complete their crop registration offline following directions from Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The state revenue department issued a formal Government Resolution (GR) on Friday, allowing talathi-level crop inspections in areas where online registrations for the ongoing Kharif season remain pending.

The state initially introduced the e-crop inspection system on August 15, 2021, to allow farmers to register crop details directly through their mobile phones with the objective of making the registration process accessible and transparent. Subsequently, the state government implemented technical modifications in the application starting December 1, 2024, to facilitate crop registrations through the AgriStack platform.

However, the Digital Crop Survey application encountered operational challenges during the ongoing Kharif season, resulting in difficulties for online registrations across various regions. The Government Resolution detailed four specific issues affecting the process, including instances where the mobile application displayed a distance of more than 20 metres between the actual field and the field boundary shown on the screen, despite the farmer being physically present at the location.

Additional issues cited in the GR included interchanged maps within the application, the complete absence of maps for entire villages, and the unavailability of names and land account numbers of farmers on the platform. To address these hurdles, the government stated that where online registration remains impossible despite troubleshooting efforts, crop registration via the e-ferfar system will serve as an alternative method for the ongoing Kharif season.

"This administrative intervention highlights a critical lesson for technology integration in traditional sectors like agriculture. While digital platforms such as the AgriStack initiative and mobile applications aim to bring transparency and efficiency, implementation bottlenecks can severely disrupt grassroots operations. Permitting an offline alternative through the e-ferfar system ensures continuity and protects farmers from administrative delays while technical teams work to resolve application glitches." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes