The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has implemented the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) in a phased manner across India. The program was initially launched as a pilot during the Kharif 2023–24 season in selected districts of 10 States, followed by expansion during Rabi 2023–24 to 22 States/UTs. Currently, DGCES is being implemented across 23 States/UTs, significantly strengthening the digital ecosystem for crop estimation.
The DGCES system offers substantial advantages for Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) by enabling a fully digital and paperless workflow with real-time data capture through a mobile application. The system incorporates geo-tagging, time-stamping, and authenticated photographic evidence to enhance transparency and accountability. It standardizes data collection and validation procedures across States, thereby improving the accuracy, reliability, consistency, and timeliness of crop yield estimates. Web-based dashboards facilitate online monitoring and supervision, enabling faster processing and compilation of crop yield estimation.
The expansion of DGCES is being undertaken progressively in consultation with State Governments based on their preparedness, availability of digital infrastructure, and capacity building of field functionaries. This information was provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on August 11, 2026.