E-Technology in agriculture
E-Technology in the aid of Farmers
The prime minister's vision
Modernisation in the field of agriculture is the need of hour. This decade could be the best time for a multitude of factors including the futuristic vision for agriculture at Apex level in the government of India.
e-agriculture involves designing, developing and applying innovative ways to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) with a primary focus on agriculture. ICTs that can be harnessed for e-agriculture may include devices, networks, services and applications.
Role of ICT in agriculture:
Initiatives taken in India to promote ICT in agriculture:
- Agricultural extension and advisory service: IFFCO Kissan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) offers the farmer access to a unique Value-Added Service (VAS) platform that will broadcast five free voice messages, based on farmers’ requirements, on market prices, farming techniques, weather forecasts, dairy farming, animal husbandry, rural health initiatives and fertilizer availability etc. on a daily basis.
- National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA): For rapid deployment of ICT in agriculture. Some initiatives include one Stop Window Farmers Portal for dissemination of information on various agricultural related matters
- Strengthening/Promoting Agricultural Information System (AGRISNET): It is the scheme for strengthening of IT infrastructure of the Department and its offices.
- Development of Android Apps:
- KISAN SUVIDHA: Weather related information
- PUSA KRISHI APP: solutions to problems of agriculture.
- KISAN CALL CENTRES: To address the queries of famers on a telephone call in their local dialect.
- Sandesh Pathak- The application, developed jointly by C-DAC Mumbai, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, and C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram will enable SMS messages to be read out loud, for the benefit of farmers who may have difficulty in reading.
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Successful Models of e-agriculture: e-Choupal is an initiative of ITC Limited, a unique web-based page, to link directly with rural farmers via the Internet. RML FARMER- KRISHI MITRA: Developed by a private player, Reuters Market Light, it is useful farming app where farmers can keep up with the latest commodity and mandi prices, precise usage of pesticides and fertilizers, farm and farmer-related news, weather forecasts, and advisory. As per the official, users can choose from over 450 crop varieties, 1300 mandis, and 3500 weather locations across 50,000 villages and 17 states of India. |
Issues and challenges:
Way ahead:
- Low-cost technology: Lowering the cost of technology so that it is available and affordable for the smaller farmers.
- Easily portable hardware: Plug and play hardware (ensuring mobility) has better chances of succeeding in India due to small farm sizes and prevalence of tenancy.
- Renting and sharing platforms for agriculture equipment and machinery: Due to both limited financial resources and small farm plots, renting and sharing platforms rather than outright purchase for ICT equipment.
- Bridging the Digital Divide between the rural and urban India as well as among different sections of rural society.
- Localization of data and applications: Information in local languages and customized inputs will help in rapid dissemination of technology.
Conclusion: Digital Agriculture can improve information access and knowledge sharing for farmers and agrarians. Technology affordability, ease of access and operation, system maintenance, timely grievance redressal, and policy support should underpin the initiatives.
