The government on Friday launched an unified portal for agri-statistics (UPAg) that will empower stakeholders to access credible and objective data for taking informed decisions. The UPAg, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, is a crucial component of digital public infrastructure for agriculture.
The portal aims to address the data related governance challenges such as lack of standardised and verified data, which make it difficult for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to make informed decisions. After launching the portal, think tank Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand said it is a groundbreaking move to address the complex governance challenges facing Indian agriculture.”This innovative platform, designed to streamline and enhance data management in the agricultural domain, marks a significant step towards a more efficient and responsive agricultural policy framework,” he said in a statement.
He also stated that higher the objectivity of data, lower is the scope of judgment in policy making, which translated into stable, transparent and informed decisions.
Stating that the portal should ensure data credibility, Chand said a research suggests that one US dollar invested in data generated USD 32 impact. Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said UPAg Portal was being envisaged as a public good wherein users will benefit by reduced search costs and access to credible, granular and objective data. The UPAg portal will have key features such as 'data standardisation', 'data analysis', 'granular production estimates', 'commodity profile reports', and 'plug and play'.