Bhubaneswar: Farmers in Odisha will soon get a unique identification number, similar to the Aadhaar system, which will help them access various government schemes and agricultural services more easily. The state government has started the process of registering farmers to create individual Agristack IDs.

The registration is currently being carried out through cooperative societies across the state. However, farmers who are unable to visit the cooperative societies for any reason will not be left out. Government officials will visit such farmers at their homes or other convenient locations to complete the registration process.

Officials from the Agriculture, Revenue and Cooperation departments will work together to ensure that the registration process is completed smoothly. A high-level inter-ministerial meeting was held on Sunday to discuss ways to simplify and streamline the process. Ministers and senior officials from the Agriculture, Cooperation, Revenue and Supply departments attended the meeting.

Once an Agristack ID is generated, farmers will be provided with a unique identity card containing their agricultural details.

The government has also made provisions for farmers living abroad. Such farmers will be able to complete their registration through video conferencing. They will also be able to complete the eye-scan process remotely as part of the registration.

Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said farmers would not face difficulties in completing the registration process. He also said that the registration deadline could be extended if necessary.

The initiative is aimed at ensuring that government schemes, subsidies and other agricultural assistance reach genuine farmers more efficiently by creating a unified database of farmers in the state.