Phone-based agriculture information service opened for farmers
New Delhi: Meenakshi Datta Ghosh, the secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj opened a phone-based information service for farmers, ‘Soochna Se Samadhan Sewa'. The service, which is part of a new community project in support of one of the UN Millennium Development goals on digital inclusion, is aimed at helping developing countries to become part of the digital society.
Based on an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) the farmers can access the service by dialing – 022-39116000 – to register their query. The system stores the call on a web-based application and knowledge workers seek answers from experts and provide these back to the farmers within 24 hours. The content and agriculture information is being provided by Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) while TARAhaat is helping in implementing the service.
Providing details about the initiative, OneWorld Project Manager TN Anuradha said: "We aim to use the power of ICT to deliver content and capability to farmers using the most-used communication tool – the phone in this instance – for this initiative. We have done this based on feedback from grassroots communities and farmers on how this technology will best provide them the information they need." Highlighting the benefits of the initiative, ISAP chairman PV Thomas said: "We find that the phone is one of the most acceptable mediums of receiving information because it is faster and more economical than postcards. Another advantage is that information is provided to the farmers in their own language and the only thing that they have to do is to ring us up."
Ghosh hopes that the initiative will also lead to improved governance and have an impact on government schemes like National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (NREGA), the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and similar other initiatives. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) TARAhaat Ranjit Khosla said: "Through projects like these we are trying to deliver innovative solutions to developmental issues. Our end aim is to make development self-sustaining for which we have to ensure that the market accepts our products." Speaking on OneWorld’s work in development issues Chair of the OneWorld International Board Rajendre Khargi said: "We want to use new media and information technology in a way that will empower communities. We also recognise that to be successful all such projects have to be demand driven." Khargi thanked the farmers for providing vital feedback and the inputs while setting up the technology which helped in improving the ‘Soochna Se Samadhan Sewa,’ service. The project is currently being run in Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh and will soon be started in Shimla and Solan in Himachal Pradesh. |
User comments
"A Good Initiative, Value Addition will make it very good"Author:
Ombeer Singh Tyagi
Time: 05.10.2006 09:39
Comment: Indeed it is a good initiative and has come at a time when an average farm family is in a dilemma whether to continue farming or look for other options which are any way scares. Farmers living in the fringes of the cities and town or connected to such places by roads or other communication means are linked up to such services' providers either in the private domain such as e-choupal or in public domain such as Krishi Vigyan Kendra or Agri Universities. Making a common farmer living in the georaphically distant areas use this service is a challenge. In market language making farmers community aware of this service and creating demand for information in poverty stricken geographical areas will add value to this service. Here emerges the need for collaborations and networks which are able to create demand for such services.
International Development Enterprises India (www.die-india.org) engaged in providing lasting solutions to the poverty to the small and marginal farmers, with a clientale base of nearly one million farm families spread in 14 states of India is open to discuss partnership for this initiative. |
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