The Hindu : Kerala News : e-Krishi goes to Kasaragod

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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
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Kerala

e-Krishi goes to Kasaragod

Staff Reporter

Local bodies to assist the programme

Free training to be provided to farmers
Grama panchayat chiefs discuss project

KASARAGOD: The e-krishi programme launched by the State IT mission and Akshaya in Malappuram district is being extended to Kasaragod district with the assistance of local bodies. This is the first time in the State that local bodies are directly participating in the e-krishi programme. In Malappuram, the United Nations Development Programme assisted the programme.

The e-krishi programme, which aims to bring the benefits of developments in information technology to farmers, helps farmers advertise their produce through its web site www.e-krishi.org Traders can publicise their needs through the site, which acts as a link between them and customers and producers. The web site provides weather information and tips for profitable farming. Daily weather reports of 330 localities in the State and prices in 54 local markets are published.

C.K. Peethambaran, former Dean of Kerala Agriculture University and consultant of e-krishi programme, said at a press conference here on Tuesday that the District Planning Committee had approved the project and 26 panchayats had expressed willingness to implement it.

He said free training would be provided to farmers in the panchayats to enable them to participate in the programme. It had been a great success in Malappuram and had helped farmers reap considerable profit.

A study held by students of the Dhirubhai Ambani School of Management, Gujarat, said the project had helped farmers of Malappuram generate a profit of around Rs. 2.5 crore a year.

Advertising through the project web site had not only helped farmers get fair prices from buyers in distant places but also increased prices of produce in local markets.

He said the e-krishi project planned to test soil in panchayat areas and post the results on the web site for the benefit of farmers.

More districts

Mr. Peethambaran said the project would be extended to Kozhikode and Kannur also. Moves were there to tie up the project with the Kudumbasree Mission. Big companies which needed agricultural produce would be connected to farmers through the site.

The presidents of grama panchayats in the district met here on Tuesday to discuss the project.

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