E-Technologies For Farmers

Agriculture needs technology infusion to accelerate the production so that food is accessible to the common man. Internet & IT has become a bridge for people from all over the world. The agriculture sector has seen many revolutions worldwide, the most recent being Information and communication technology revolution. It has helped the farmers’ cause in today’s resource constraint world and has also made agriculture more efficient.

Recent Developments

India’s First Agri-Options Launched by NCDEX

The country’s First Agri-commodity Options in Guar Seed was launched on January 14, 2018. It has been launched by the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX).

Objectives

  • NCDEX Agri-Options in Guar Seed aim to provide farmers better engagement in the commodity markets.
  • NCDEX is the second exchange after MCX to launch option trading in commodities following markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) approval for such trade.
  • There are already 59 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) trading on the NCDEX.
  • NCDEX also launched Mandi.com, a mobile app for farmers where they can learn more about Options and the commodity markets.

Developing Agriculture Ecosystem: Role of NCDEX

  • For more than a decade, NCDEX has played a big role in developing agriculture ecosystem. It has put a lot of effort and brought in various technological innovations that have helped in providing:
    • Wider network and market access to farmers and other stakeholders
    • Better price discovery
    • Reducing information asymmetry
    • Providing tools to mitigate prices risks
    • Increasing overall efficiency and transparency in the system
  • It will also ensure minimum occurrence of unnecessary losses due to massive procurements undertaken.

Year of Farmer Producer Organisations

  • The year 2014 was observed as the “Year of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO)” by the Government of India.
  • It (FPO) is one of the important initiatives taken by the Department of Agriculture with the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture to mainstream the idea of promoting and strengthening member-based institutions of farmers.

eNAM

  • National Agriculture Market or eNAM is an online trading platform for agricultural commodities in India. The market facilitate farmers, traders and buyers with online trading in commodities. Over 90 commodities including staple food grains, vegetables and fruits are currently listed in its list of commodities available for trade.
  • Objectives: A national e-market platform for transparent sale transactions and price discovery initially in regulated markets. Willing States to accordingly enact suitable provisions in their APMC Act for promotion of e-trading by their State Agricultural Marketing Board/APMC.
  • In February 2018, some attractive features like MIS dashboard, BHIM and other mobile payments, enhanced features on the mobile app such as gate entry and payment through mobile phones and farmers database is helping adoption even more.
  • The present trading is done mostly for intra-market, but in phases, it will be rolled out to trade in inter-market, inter-state, creating a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
  • The trading is done online, with trading computers or through mobile app in all e-Nam markets.
    • Mobile App: An eNAM mobile application is available on Android for farmers and traders to bid and complete a transaction on the app, available in 8 languages.
    • Payment: The payment network RTGS/NEFT, debit card and internet banking was also integrated into the app. In 2017 mobile payment, Unified Payment Interface (UPI) facility through BHIM support was added in the app.
    • Gate entry: The mobile phone gate entry, integration of farmers database and e-learning module is available. The agents are mostly using the eNAM mobile App for trading on behalf of farmers.
  • As per the concept, farmers, who are the producers of agricultural products, can form groups and register themselves under the Indian Companies Act. These can be created both at State, cluster, and village levels. It is aimed at engaging the farmer companies to procure agricultural products and sell them.
  • Supply of inputs such as seed, fertilizer and machinery, market linkages, training & networking and financial and technical advice are also among the major activities of FPO. The Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) has been nominated as a central procurement agency to undertake price support operations under Minimum Support Price (MSP) for pulses and oilseeds through the FPO’s.

National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology

AGRISNET, An infrastructure network existing at block level facilitating agricultural offices, agricultural extension services and agribusiness activities to enhance rural development.

Bharat Nirman has registered the increased tele-density in rural areas. And it is this base which is being used to provide ‘m’ service to farmers, giving them right information at right time.

Digital Green: The agri information of local relevance is disseminated through digital video. The system consists of a digital video database prepared for farmers by farmers with the help of experts. The recordings are shown to individuals or small groups using laptops, DVD player, television and to communities through village cable network.

eSagu: eSagu provides personalised expert advice in a timely manner from sowing stage to harvest for small and marginal farmers at their door-step. The farm situation is brought to the expert in the form of digital photographs and text information. The expert advice after analysing the situation is prepared and is delivered to the concerned farmer on the same day or subsequent day.

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) already launched wireless broadband Scheme in 2009. USOF is also funding the National Optical fibre network (NOFN), which is being managed by Bharat Broadband Network Limited. Bandwidth from NOFN will be eligible to give wide range of services to rural India.

Pilot project scheme for Mobile values added services (m-VAS) for rural women’s Self-help group (SHG) is also part of USOF’s Sanchar Shakti programme. In this the SHG on the basis of their activities are provided with information in local languages through SMS, outbound dialers (OBDs) and Integrated Voice response system (IVRS).

Bharat Nirman Kendra, shall be a single window for providing the information on the NREGS and shall provide feedback on the quality of implementation of the program.

For farm credit, service of ICT is being harnessed like Smart Cards, Internet Kiosks and cell phone messaging. And also disbursement of all social security benefits through electronic benefit transfer to all rural areas. Mobile-enabled kisan card system to help the agricultural community engage in cashless transactions.

iKisan: iKisan is a one-stop solution for farmers in providing information on crops, crop management techniques, fertilizers, pesticides and other related information like market updates and weather forecasts.

Kisan Credit Card (KCC): It uses the ICT to provide affordable credit for farmers in India. It was started by the Government of India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in 1998-99 to help farmer’s access timely and adequate credit.

Kisan Choupal in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra is a successful model in Bihar. It is being conducted in identified village on the basis of need assessment of the farmers by the scientists on agriculture and allied enterprises. At Kisan chouapal, the dialogue/discussion/problems solving is facilitated with help of Information technologies, showing technical videos to farmers, movies, etc. at the beginning of the choupal. This has increased the awareness of farmers on cropping practices and new techniques.

Kisan Call Centre: An expert advisory system and the farmer’s needs to call the toll free number 1800-180-1551 to seek expert advice on different matters related to agriculture and allied sectors.

Kisan SMS Portal: Here farmer keeps getting SMS messages providing information or delivering service or giving advisories on his mobile from experts, scientists and officers at various level after once opting for messages on agricultural practices/crops of his interest. The services of the portal include crop production, including horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries. It sends messages relating not only production aspect but also marketing of produce, weather forecast, soil testing, etc.

The Sandesh Pathak application, developed jointly by C-DAC Mumbai, IIT-Madras, IIIT 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. It is usable by people who cannot read. A large population of farmers belongs to this category. The app which is available for download from the Appstore of the Mobile Seva Project of government of India, is an Indian language SMS Reader.

Village Knowledge Centre (VKC): Village Knowledge Centre (VKC) serves as information dissemination centre providing instant access to farmers to latest information/ knowledge available in the field of agriculture, starting from crop production to marketing. A “VKC In-charge” who looks after the operations of the VKC mans every VKC.

Village Resource Centres (VRC): The VRCs are connected to Knowledge/Expert Centres like Agricultural Universities, Skill Development Institutes and Hospitals. Over 6500 programmes have been conducted by the VRCs in the areas of Agriculture/horticulture, Fisheries, Livestock, Water resources, Tele health care, Awareness programmes, Women empowerment, Supplementary education, Computer literacy, Micro credit, Micro finance, Skill development / vocational training for livelihood support, etc. So far, over five Lakh people have availed VRC services.

aAQUA: aAQUA is a multilingual online problem solving system that facilitate farmers getting their queries answered by experts. The reply to the queries raised by the farmers is sent in one to three days depending on the nature of the problem.

Digital Mandi: Digital Mandi is an electronic trading platform for agri-commodities to bring the benefit of ICT to farmers and traders by eliminating geographical barriers and temporal limitation and removing cash crunch through active participation of various financial institutions. Digital Mandi is inspired by the vision of sustainable village through culturally appropriate use of new technologies.

eKrishi: The communication network established under eKrishi is utilised to educate farmers, provide real time information on prices, arrivals and issue disaster warning and weather forecast. The aim is to enable farmers to take informed decisions on sale of their produce and bring transparency in the working of the Agricultural Marketing Board.

Akashganga: The initiative facilitates timely collection of milk, proper payments and generates higher income for dairy farmers. The system includes weighment of milk electronically, fat testing, capturing unique ID by the software and printing of pay slip and payment settlement.

More Advanced Use of ICT in Farming

Irrigate via Smart Phone: Mobile is playing a big role in monitoring and controlling crop irrigation systems. With the right equipment a farmer can control his irrigation systems from a phone or computer instead of driving to each field.

GPS Mapping: GPS mapping for an input to the field using variable rate technology, which helps farmer in accessing the need i.e. where they need to put more fertilizer or less, according to the requirement of the soil. GPS enabled services are also helping in field documentation about yield, moisture, maps for field drainage, etc. Various farmer friendly applications (apps) are being launched by companies, which help farmers in discovering prices for their products, delivering their product, getting soil report, etc

National Policy for Farmers, 2007

  • The Government had constituted National Commission on Farmers in 2004 under the chairmanship of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. Based on the recommendations made by the Commission in its Revised Draft National Policy for Farmers and the comments/suggestions received from various Central Ministries and Departments and State Governments, the “National Policy for Farmers, 2007” has been formulated and approved by the Government of India
  • It has important provision for use of Technology: New technologies which can help enhance productivity per unit of land and water are needed. Biotechnology, information and communication technology (ICT), renewable energy technology, space applications and nano-technology to provide opportunities for launching an “Evergreen Revolution” capable of improving productivity in perpetuity without harming the ecology.
  • Under National Telecom policy, 2012 major focus is being given at improving the broadband penetration. It mentions mobiles as an instrument of socio-economic empowerment for citizens.

National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)

NeGP-A is proposed to be implemented across the country and aims at offering Government to Citizen/Farmer (G2C or G2F), Government to Business (G2B) and Government to Government (G2G) agricultural services in an integrated manner through the Central Agriculture Portal (CAP) and State Agriculture Portals (SAPs).

Objectives

  • Bringing farmer centricity & service orientation to the programs
  • Enhancing reach & impact of extension services
  • Improving access of farmers to information & services throughout crop-cycle
  • Building upon, enhancing & integrating the existing ICT initiatives of Centre, and States
  • Enhancing efficiency & effectiveness of programs through process redesign
  • More effective management of schemes of DAC
  • Promoting a common framework across states

Duration and Nature of GOI Support under NeGP-A

  • Hardware and System software with comprehensive onsite warranty for 5 years
  • Basic IT training to end users in various government organisations and Village Level Entrepreneurs in Common Service Centres
  • Full support for site preparation of Training Centres and 55% share for other sites
  • 100, 70 and 50 percent for manpower cost for first three years
  • Connectivity charges with SWAN (for intranet & internet) or direct internet connectivity charges for end user locations for a period of 3 Years at an average of Rs. 11000 per location per year. These charges shall be paid for a period of 5 years for Data Centres at Central and State levels.
  • Touch screen kiosks @ 1 in every 2 blocks and 1 in every district
  • An amount of Rs. 7500 per block, Rs.10, 500 per district headquarter and Rs. 30,000 per State head quarter per year has been kept for consumables like printer cartridges etc. for a period of three years.
  • Process and Application Software training
  • Development of core applications and 12 clusters of services
  • Support for IT infrastructure at selected Mandis and integrated e-Mandis
  • Hand-held devices for e-Pest surveillance

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