A group of five computer professionals from different parts of Tamil Nadu are now a mission to implement an Information Technology-based comprehensive farming solution in Tamil Nadu.
They had successfully implemented it in Andhra Pradesh.
With elections around the corner, the group members are meeting the farmers’ groups in the State.
The aim is to explain how the Information and Communication Technology-based Agriculture focused Integrated Rural Development mooted under the forum of Mission-IT Rural can improve yield and marketing avenues so that the farmers could in turn pressurise the political parties/candidates to get an assurance of implementing the same when they come to power. During a visit to Palladam to meet farmers’ groups/forums, the team leader R. Thiruchelvam explained to The Hindu how the project was implemented on a pilot basis at Pulivendula block in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh a few years ago.
These professionals themselves met the entire project expenses.
“Under the project, we first opened information and process management centres at all the 11 villages under the block.
Base data of farmers were obtained and computerised the requisite information needed for specific crops so as to generate solutions to the farmers depending on the season, soil and water availability,” he said.
The data collected on sowing helped farmers against raising same crops all over the block to avoid any glut in the market.
Similarly, the information of pest breakouts helped take preventive measures.
According to Mr. Thiruchelvam, the project resulted in yield increase by up to 20 per cent.
Mosambi and pomegranate harvested from there were exported for first time.
“Success helped us entering into an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Government to expand the scheme to other blocks though it did not take place later due to political changes.”
The idea of IT solution was germinated in the minds of Mr. Thiruchelvam, Utham Kumar, S. Jayakumar, S. Vijay and G. Venkatesh after seeing farmers’hardships due to price crashes and poor marketing possibilities.
