Kolkata: In a significant stride towards bridging the gaps between farmers and scientists at the grassroot level, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (WBCADC KVK) at Bankura hosted a workshop on Kisan Sarathi 2.0 App for a deeper understanding of the implementation framework, features and benefits of the platform. The App developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recently seen an upgrade enabling the farmers to uphold the problems faced by them by clicking photographs or doing videography along with voiceover so that experts can easily identify and provide advice for addressing their issues.
“In agriculture, if a farmer narrates his problem verbally, there is often a gap but if he can share a photograph or video of the issue, it can be resolved in a much easier manner through experts on the App platform. For example, if a farmer can share a photo or a video of any pest attack on their farmland, experts can better understand the problem and offer remedial measures,” said Moumita Dey Gupta, KVK Programme coordinator.
Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata addressed virtually and highlighted the importance of reaching distant and often underserved areas like Khatra, Ranibandh and Simlapal through digital interventions via the Kisan Sarathi App.
He emphasised on quality advisory services on topics like millets, Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), fisheries, animal husbandry and tasar cultivation, awareness on Central and state insurance schemes, use of voice-over services in tribal areas, promotion of digital literacy and innovation, inclusion of Farmers’ Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), farmer feedback mechanisms and farmer-validated advisories and roadmap for adoption and implementation of the app in field conditions.
Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, member, Joint Technical Committee, Kisan Sarathi 2.0 illustrated the real-time functionality of the system.
He also conducted a live demonstration of a farmer’s call routed through the Kisan Call Centre to KVK Bankura. He elaborated on the future integration features of the App, such as recording comprehensive farmer data including landholding, pond area, crop variety, livestock count, etc.
There are 60,000 farmers presently registered under KVK Bankura with the number of farmers in the district being 6.5 lakh approximately.
Avijit Haldar, Nodal Scientist, Kisan Sarathi 2.0, ATARI, Kolkata provided a detailed explanation of the Kisan Sarathi platform, reiterating that registration at the Kisan Call Centre serves as the primary registration, followed by secondary registration through the App.
The esteemed guests present at the workshop were taken for a field visit to the Self-Help Group (SHG) clusters, where women farmers and rural entrepreneurs are scripting powerful stories of change.