Haryana launches fertiliser booking pilot in 2 districts. Here's how it will work

The Haryana government has chosen Mahendragarh and Kaithal for the pilot implementation of the Framework for Fertiliser Sales (FFS), signalling a shift towards advance digital booking and traceable distribution of subsidised fertilisers in the state.

Mahendragarh, Kaithal chosen for pilot

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi here on Monday, where the government also examined the proposed mechanism for linking cultivator information available on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal with the Farmer Registry.

The selection of the two districts is part of the government's effort to test the system at the field level before considering its wider rollout, an official statement said.

Farmers to book fertiliser in advance

Under the FFS mechanism, farmers will be required to apply in advance for their fertiliser requirement through the digital platform. The system provides for selection of a preferred authorised fertiliser outlet and generation of a QR code/token-based allotment after the booking is processed.

This is aimed at replacing an entirely walk-in-based purchase process with a system in which the government can know the demand in advance and plan fertiliser supplies accordingly, the statement said.

Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Vijayendra Kumar informed the meeting that the system will assess the fertiliser requirement on the basis of the crop and cultivated area declared by the farmer. Farmers can seek the recommended quantity or a lower quantity, subject to the prescribed norms.

Aadhaar, OTP authentication proposed

He said the FFS process provides for Aadhaar-based biometric e-KYC or OTP authentication. Applications can be submitted through the mobile application or web platform, while assisted access is envisaged through Common Service Centres, cooperative societies/primary agricultural credit societies, authorised retailers, departmental sub-depots and extension workers.

A key feature of the proposed system is that farmers can choose their preferred fertiliser sales outlet in advance. Once the booking is approved, the farmer will use the prescribed QR code, token or booking confirmation at the selected outlet.

Farmer Registry to get verified cultivation data

Alongside the fertiliser-sale pilot, Haryana is working on a mechanism to transfer verified cultivator information from MFMB to the Farmer Registry.

The Haryana Farmer Registry is a digital database launched under the national AgriStack initiative. It assigns each farmer in the state a unique digital Farmer ID.

The proposed SOP provides that farmers will declare the land they are cultivating through MFMB during the notified crop-season registration period and select the relevant land parcel from the Revenue Records database integrated with the portal.

Crop-season records to be updated

Following verification, cultivator information will be shared with the Farmer Registry through secured APIs. The proposed data set includes farmer details, land parcel details, crop season, ownership details and consent status, wherever applicable.

Once registration is successfully completed, a unique Farmer ID will be generated and linked to eligible cultivation records. The system will maintain cultivator status on a crop-season basis, allowing the record to be updated when cultivation changes.

The Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department will handle MFMB operations, validation and sharing of cultivator data and fertiliser sale-related grievances, while the Revenue Department will provide updated land records, facilitate ownership verification and resolve any disputes regarding landholdings.