Agro advice: Just a call away
FAISAL MAHMUD
Just a few years ago, it was quite rare to find a farmer seeking information and advice on farming by dialling a call centre, using the internet or availing mobile apps in rural Bangladesh.
Not so now. Take Iqbal Hossain, a farmer from Kapasia of Gazipur, for instance. Hossain cultivates rice, potatoes and chillies throughout the year. For a long time, he had consulted the local agricultural officer whenever he faced any problem. Now, he rings up the call centre.
As Hossain explained to The Independent, a few days ago, he was facing problems with his tomato cultivation. In winter, I planted tomatoes on three bighas of my land. After a few days, many of the tomato plants were attacked by insects; I didnt know what to do. A fellow farmer advised me to ring up the call centre. He gave me a number. I dialled there and explained my problem. The person at the other end of the line advised me to use a certain pesticide. I used itand got benefits almost immediately, said a delighted Hossain.
He said he would soon spread the word among other farmers. Many of us consider calling that number, as it is very much beneficial. Whenever we face any problem, we do that, he added.
The number which Hossain dialled was 16123, and the person who received the call and provided advice accordingly was a designated person employed by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of the Bangladesh government.
Tahsin Rahman, an agricultural officer of DAE, told The Independent that one can get all kinds of information and avail of consultation services by calling this number. Our call centre service is located in Khamarbari in Dhaka. There, designated agricultural officers are assigned to receive the calls and listen what the farmers have to say.
Rahman said they have ready solutions for the common problems. We have charts and manuals for all sort of crops. Whenever we receive any common complaint related to farming, pesticide and fertiliser usage, we immediately provide the necessary solutions.
He also disclosed that if they receive any new problem or a problem for which they do not have any immediate solution, or need to visit the site in person to understand the actual situation, they provide the necessary advice and numbers and addresses to contact the agricultural officers at the zone where the farmer is located.
He added that farmers can ring up the call centre on each day from 9am to 5pm, except Friday and government holidays. At first, the farmers could call the call centre free of charge, but now they need to spend 25 paisa per minute to make calls to the number.
This call centre service has been immensely popular among the farmers. Its popularity is increasing day by day, he said, adding that the DAE launched the initiative in June 2014.
Such an initiative is still a very new concept in the country. Mobile operator Banglalink first floated the concept of providing agricultural advice with its call centre. Other operators and some non-governmental organisations also took several initiatives to aid farmers through digitised services.
The mobile operator provides different services to the farmers through its Banglalink Krishi Jiggasha. A farmer can call 7676 and can ask all sorts of questions related to farming and agriculture.
Mobile operator Grameenphone, too, has a service for helping farmers. The operator provides agricultural services to farmers through its 27676 call centre number. Grameenphone is helping the DAE facilitate its service.
To provide similar services to farmers, mobile operator Robi has its SMS-based mfarmer service. It also has another call centre service named Krishi Barta. Through these two services, farmers not only get various kinds of information and advice, but can also learn about weather forecasts.
Meanwhile, an NGO named Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development (BIID) has been providing call centre and ICT services to farmers since 2008.
One of its services, named e-krishak, is very popular among the farmers. Under e-krishak, there is a helpline for obtaining agricultural information and advice on marketing of products through online systems. It also aids planning for maximising profits on cultivation. Farmers can avail of these services by calling 16250.
Grameen-Intel Social Business, another company conducting social business, has started providing services to the farmers through mobile apps and call centres.
Under a project titled krishe, Grameen Intel engages a call centre to reach the farmers located at remote places with appropriate fertiliser-related information. The combination of a telecommunications platform and software technology, so as to supply advice on the right fertiliser recommendations to farmers, is the key to this project.
Another e-Agro software, mrittika, is providing recommendations on fertilisers, which will be delivered to farmers across the country using a telecommunications network.
Meanwhile, a software named Nutrient Manager for Rice (NM Rice), has also been providing information about the right use of fertilisers for the past two years. This country-specific softwarejointly developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)functions like a decision-making tool.
It provides farmers with recommendations on how much and when to apply fertilisers to obtain a higher yield, after some specific information is provided as inputs.
Lauding this adaptation of different digital measures for the countrys agricultural sector by farmers, DAE director general Md Hamidur Rahman noted that by using these services, a farmer now can get better agricultural yield. Digital services like call centres, software and mobile apps are there to facilitate things for farmers. With almost 100 per cent mobile coverage and growing internet penetration rate, the farmers of the rural areas can now afford these services, which were once a distant dream for them, he said, smiling.
