The e-krishi project, introduced by the Kerala State Information Technology Mission in 2006 to connect farmers directly with their potential clients, has fallen idle.
An official website designed by the IT Mission to coordinate the e-trade of various agriculture produce too is non-functional now. According to official sources, the project is almost on the verge of closure without proper funding and adequate number of staff.
In Kozhikode district, all the 13 grama panchayats that had enrolled in the agri-business network are not using e-krishi network to do any trade. The main complaint that most of the farmers expressed on the concept is the “delayed response and uncertainty” over trade.
The slow response of e-krishi is at a time when the open market quickly deals with the trade of agricultural produce. According to farmers from these panchayats, the website created for promoting e-trade has been remaining non-functional for nearly a year. They complain that a toll-free number earlier announced to provide on-the-spot clarifications for farmers too is unavailable now. A huge sum had been invested in the project in the name of various data-collection programmes and field surveys. Sources say the government has invested around Rs.85,000 for each grama panchayat selected under the scheme.
Databank
A major portion of this amount was used to prepare a databank of farmers and the details of agricultural produce available for e-trade. However, the databank now remains unused though officials claim that it can be referred to for any future agriculture development programmes.
The database was prepared after collecting information on 55 specific areas about farmers regarding land ownership, crop specialties, productivity, and soil type.
Panchayats covered
Grama panchayats including Koodaranji, Mavoor, Thalakkulathoor, Kakkodi, Narippatta, Chelannur, Arikkulam, Chemanchery, Purameri, Kunnummal, Maruthonkara, Kavilapara, Kuttiadi, Valayam, Narippatta, and Kizhakkothu were covered in the survey. However, it was hardly utilised for any e-trade promotion activities.
