Training of Master Trainers on Digital Crop Survey (DCS) successfully conducted
Gangtok, September 09:
The Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, Government of Sikkim, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, successfully conducted a two-day Training of Master Trainers on Digital Crop Survey (DCS) on 8th and 9th September 2025. The program was inaugurated at SAMETI Hall, Tadong, and was followed by a field-level hands-on training at Yangtam Village, Pakyong District.
The inaugural session was addressed by Shri Chandan Kumar, Under Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI, who highlighted the vision of Agristack and the role of DCS in creating a comprehensive digital database for Indian agriculture. He emphasized how this initiative will bring transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in crop data collection, supporting better policy-making and farmer-centric interventions.
Shri Jigme Dorjee Bhutia, Secretary, Agriculture Department, Government of Sikkim, in his address, reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to digital transformation in agriculture. He underlined that the Digital Crop Survey will empower farmers through improved access to schemes, resources, and advisory services, while also strengthening data-driven governance in the agriculture sector.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Shri Harka Lamichaney, Assistant Director (IT), Horticulture Department.
The training witnessed enthusiastic participation from Master Trainers representing all six districts of Sikkim, along with officials from the State head office. The sessions were led by the Centre DCS Team, who delivered detailed technical presentations and practical demonstrations on the methodology, processes, and digital platforms for crop survey.
On Day 2, participants visited Yangtam Village, Pakyong District, where a hands-on field training was conducted on the use of mobile applications for real-time data collection and digital survey methods. This exercise provided practical exposure and built confidence among the trainers to implement DCS effectively at the grassroots level.
With the completion of this training, the Proof of Concept (POC) for Digital Crop Survey in Sikkim has been successfully accomplished. The Agriculture Department confirmed that, subsequently, a pilot run of DCS will be carried out in selected areas of the state, leading to its wider rollout in the near future.
The Department expressed confidence that the trained Master Trainers will serve as key resource persons in their respective districts, ensuring smooth and efficient implementation of the Digital Crop Survey across Sikkim. This milestone marks a significant step towards building a digitally empowered agricultural ecosystem, in alignment with the vision of Digital India and Agristack