How Can E- Technology Help Farmers Come Out of Distress?

 

In this era, we can not imagine a world without technology, technology dramatically changed the world, every sector of society took a huge benefit from technology, technology made our lives so easy, but the agriculture sector needs some more attention. We will see how technology can help us to come out of distress.


Mobile Application for Farmers

It might be surprising to us that how mobile applications are useful in agriculture, India launched two mobile applications to help farmers and improve the quality of their crops.


Kisan Suvidha Mobile Application

Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras developed this app. in the areas of crops, horticulture, veterinary, etc., these apps offer useful information to the growers.

This app promotes the dissemination of information to farmers on the critical parameters eg, Weather; Market Prices; input dealers (Seed, Pesticide, Fertilizer) Farm Machinery; etc Protection etc.

This helps farmers in making attentive decisions to sell harvest at the right price and right time.

Kisan Portal (www.mkisan.gov.in) for delivering advisories on several crop-related matters to the registered agriculturist through SMSs.

e-National Agriculture Market was launched as an initiative to give farmers an electronic online trading platform.

Introduction of Soil Health Card Scheme to help State Governments in giving Soil Health Cards to all growers across the nation once in a cycle of 2 years. Soil health cards give information to farmers about nutrient enrichment in the soil.


Chameleon

It's a digital device that measures soil moisture, it was developed by Michael, it's helping many farmers by facilitating them to measure the soil’s moisture by changing its colour to blue, green and red depending on the condition of the soil’s moisture.

If the colour of soil turns into Blue, it means the soil has enough water.

If the colour of the soil changing into Green means that soil has a moderate range of moisture

If the colour of the soil changing into red means that water has a low content of moisture

The equipment assists the farmers to visualize the quantity of water that is in a plant and it can also help distribute water equally among growers in remote areas where there is a little amount of water for irrigation to avoid conflicts in the community.


E-Agriculture

E-Agriculture is a modern area of knowledge emerging out of the convergence of IT and agriculture techniques. It improves the agricultural value chain through the application of the Internet and similar technologies. Information technology enables farmers to have better access to information which boosts productivity. It also facilitates him to get better rates through the information of change in price in various markets.


Export Inspection Council (EIC)

To expand ease of farming/ agricultural exports from India, the government launched digital drives by Export Inspection Council (EIC).


Significance of Adopting Technology

- Helpful in Decision Making

If farmers know the kind of soil, they'll certainly sow such type of crops which can be most useful and beneficial.


- Effective Planning

Farmers already know-how crops can face damages in future, they will be ready to face it if something unwanted happens, effective planning will save crops from damages.


- Remedial Therapy

In countries like India, where the persistent lack of infrastructure continues to threaten the agricultural sector, water crisis, desertification, crop pests, diseases, technological development is giving a much-needed lifeline to cure problematic situations.


What’s Stopping Farmers ?

Lack of Infrastructure

The scarcity of knowledge on farm inputs, disorganized credit, and absence of market linkages are the major obstacles encountered by growers in accepting new technologies.


Poor Reach

The distribution of technology is unequal throughout the country, the reach of technology very poor in villages/rural areas.


Insufficiency & Illiteracy

Generally, Farmers are illiterate, they hardly got to know the new techniques and opportunities provided by the government, technology is a new thing and they don't trust as much as should be,

Financial Constraints

Most of the Indian farmers are not rich, they have a small field, otherwise Rich farmers are obtaining the technology and employing their services but the marginal farmers are incapable to pay for the new technologies and they remain left out.


Written by - Salman Khalil

Edited by - Gunika Manchanda