Home ›› 13 Jan 2022 ›› Editorial
Nowadays, if farmers encounter problems with their crop, they can directly video call agriculture officers, enabling the officers to easily suggest solutions after viewing the issue virtually. In this way, farmers are able to get the answers to their problems in a seamless manner. Furthermore, there exists a plethora of different apps being made in our country that farmers are using to understand their crop-related issues and get solutions to their problems. By using such technologies, farmers who previously used conventional approaches to farming are transforming into more digitally conscious farmers. Although internet-based technology is, to some extent, making people’s lives robotic and mechanical, its positive elements can also be utilised in easing people’s traditional lives and their work. The authorities concerned must be commended for paving the path for digital agricultural for the often neglected and poorly educated farming community.
According to sources in the ministry of agriculture, in 2016, the ministry undertook several initiatives and schemes in order to digitalise agriculture with the technological aid of A2I. The government has launched various digital schemes with the aim of making farmer’s lives easier by using technological methods to reduce the amount of labour farmers have to do. Different programmes have been implemented in the agriculture sector using advanced technology. Some works are still in progress and the government has more plans in the pipeline. Experts believe farmers and the agriculture sector has benefited greatly from these schemes.
Earlier whenever crops got afflicted with different diseases, farmers had to inform agriculture officers for solutions or advice; they had to show them samples of the diseased crop and explain the symptoms of the disease to the officers. For an easy solution in this situation, the country’s major crop disorders or diseases’ pictures have been collected to form a database, arranged by the experts. Farmers or agriculture service providers can identify their crop’s issue by simply looking at the pictures which resemble their affected crops. After clicking on the picture that matches their issue, they can find a detailed solution to their problem, along with a description of the problem itself. In this way, by using the app “Krishoker Janala”, farmers can easily get the solutions to their crop-related problems digitally. There are thousands of available solutions for more than 120 different crops here. The Krishoker Janala programme has won the WSIS award in 2016, bestowed by the UN’s information and technology-related organization, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Digital agricultural schemes have not only gained international awards, but have also left a positive impact upon the local farming communities and farmers are reaping the benefits. This has made the farmers’ lives a lot easier. A local farmer, Jamaluddin from Jatarpur village in the Meherpur District told this writer, “The lives we’ve led so far have been filled with pain and misery. Technology has seemingly uplifted our lives which were shrouded with darkness and brought us to the path of light. One of the biggest problems that we faced was while using pesticides. Earlier, we used to go to the store and buy a pesticide according to the storekeeper’s advice. But in this way, we often bought the wrong pesticides. Now there is an app called ‘Balainashok Nirdeshika’ through which a farmer himself or with an agro-officer’s help choose the right pesticide for his particular crop. The app also shows information on which companies are selling pesticides that are available on the market, besides the government approved pesticides, and farmers can also know about a pesticide manufactured by one group being sold under which names by different companies. Using a pesticide product’s API number, we can check whether the product is approved or not. To download the app, we have to search for Pesticide Prescriber on Google Playstore.”
Through the app “Krishi Batayon”, farmers can find any relevant information, advice and service they require. This is a central database of farmers and agriculture-related information. Meanwhile, data of 82 lakhs of farmer’s have been stored in the app already. The government is working on expanding the scope of the app to include nearly 26 million farmers all over the country. This is still an ongoing scheme. Information on the stores where fertilisers and pesticides are sold in the country is present in the database, including the names, addresses and contact numbers of the shops selling those items. The app also contains data on 5500 ‘haats and bazaars’. Using the app, a farmer can find out what market or fair is situated near him.
The app contains a variety of information on the distribution of farming land across the country, the locations in which crop are produced, name of the farmers producing the crop, the people involved in the farming works and their phone numbers. Also included are the names and phone numbers of the different farming organisations and their affiliations across each district and upazila. Information on when the government is giving out subsidies and the amount of subsidies given out are also given. Related information on newer crop diseases is available as well. Moreover, the agro products being manufactured by the government, details on the production process and other necessary information are included. The type of training farmers has received till now and their phone numbers have also been included.
A farmer can call 3331 to reach his local agro officer. In this way, there will be less communication gap due to local dialect differences in crop and pest names, hence problems can be easily discussed and farmers would be able to get their solutions faster. Farmers can call the Krishi Call Centre at 16123 to get expert guidance on agriculture, fisheries and livestock and cattle related problems instantly at absolutely no cost at all.
The AICC Agriculture Information and Communication Centre is an ICT-based information services centre, managed by farmers and established at grassroots level. Via the centre, farmers are exchanging information services with each other. Through this app, expert advice on agriculture related problems are given by holding video conferences. Throughout Bangladesh, there are currently 499 such information centres.
To reduce the suffering of remote farmers regarding getting loans, the farmers’ and village loans application and approval process is being brought online. This is still an ongoing process. In the meantime, farmers in different parts of the country are being given training on the online process. All aspects of the loan processing, ranging from application for the loan to disbursement of loans, is being automated. Farmers can learn about interest rates and submit necessary documentation online. If their loan application is approved, they will be informed through SMS. Besides the online application facility, they can also easily apply for agro-loans through their union’s digital centre. For the farmers, this has been a revolutionary programme. This can help farmers to become self-sufficient financially.
The use of such modern technology is helping the country advance towards greater development. By incorporating technology in the agricultural sector in this manner, the impossible is being made possible. According to agro experts, just as using modern technologies in cultivation has improved agricultural production, farmers using online apps and websites this way is easing their lives by lessening their anxiety and uncertainty.
The Bangladesh government’s efforts in e-agriculture have been revolutionary and efficient. Many are benefiting from this. Especially the young farmers have welcomed this and using the various online services without any difficulty. So are the other farmers, according to Habibur Rahman, a young farmer from Gangacharaupazilla in Rangpur. Habibur said, “In our locality, there are many farmers who are interested in using these technologies and want to know more. Since they do not know how to use the internet or apps, many of us younger farmers help them understand how to use them. This makes them happy as they are able to profit from using technology. The technology can be used without cost and we can find out information anytime anywhere. This has made our lives much easier.”
Only for the last three or four years are the agricultural apps being used by the people. However, this technology has to be used more intensively by the farming community. It has to be made even more user-friendly and time-efficient.
In future, the government has plans to develop technology in sectors such as mapping of agricultural land, weather forecast/agriculture forecast, crop insurance, etc. If these can be implemented, our agriculture will go far in terms of development.
The writer is a columnist. She can be contacted at shanu.mostafiz@gmail.com
