The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has launched a nationwide registration drive under the newly introduced Farmer Registration System (FRS). The digital platform, rolled out yesterday, aims to register every farmer in the country within the next two months, compiling essential information about farmers, their farmlands, and farming activities.
Agriculture extension officers across the country have already begun registering farmers, with the process expected to continue until the end of September. So far, more than 1,100 farmers have been successfully entered into the system.
For farmers like Guna Tshering from Dungmin Gewog in Pema Gatshel, the system offers hope for better land management.
“Even if we own acres of land, much of it is not arable. But once our land is registered in the system, the government might support us with land management in those areas. I believe this will benefit us,” he said.
Developed by Dragon Coders, a private software company, the FRS is expected to serve as the central source of farm-related data in the country, helping address long-standing inconsistencies in agricultural statistics.
“We have administrative data at our headquarters, and with our district extension people and agriculture officers. There are also data released annually by the National Statistics Bureau. Due to this, there are certain mismatches of data. To resolve these mismatches, to rectify and validate this data, and get all agriculture-related data from one platform, we have developed this system,” explained Rinzin Wangchuk, the Chief Agriculture Officer at the ministry.
The Ministry expects to have a comprehensive overview of the number of farmers and their agricultural activities by October. Officials believe the system will not only improve data accuracy but also enhance service delivery and ensure more efficient resource distribution in the agriculture sector.
