GCES PORTAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Agriculture)

Context: Recently, the secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) launched the mobile application and the web portal for GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey).

General Crop Estimation Survey Portal

• Launched: September, 2023
• Developed by: Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• Aim: To enhance the reach, scope, and outcome of government actions in the course of development.

oThe automation of the GCES process will ensure on-time reporting of crop statistics and the accuracy of the data.

• Features: Both the portal and the app offer an extensive database of yield estimations.

oThe mobile application boasts a crucial feature known as geo-referencing.

oThe mobile application enables users to upload images of both experimental plots and the crops under observation.

General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES)

• Conducted by: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI).
• Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• The estimates of crop production are obtained by multiplying the area under the crop and the yield rate.
• The yield rate estimates are based on scientifically designed crop-cutting experiments conducted under the General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES).
• Crops Covered: Around 68 crops (52 food and 16 non-food) in 22 States and 4 Union Territories.