Prior to 1990s, we used the one-way rural radios or interactive HAM radios to communicate with farmers. Then came the TVs to spread the technological messages and commodity prices to farmers. Now, the widely spread smart phones are handy to interact with farmers with all sorts of information: up to the minute price updates for commodities of interest in various markets, weather information, advice to farmers on pests and disease incidences and how to control them, showing pest-damage or diseased crops to researchers and getting timely advice on control measures, showing samples of farm produce to dealers or whole salers in various markets and negotiating the price for such commodities, and so on. The introduction of video chatting in WhatsApp will further enhance the face-to-face interaction between different actors in the commodity value chain. Farmers or farmer groups can be effectively linked in the commodity value chain and empowered to deal with produce collectors and dealers, and to procure all the farm inputs at a competitive price. If properly used, all the actors in the value chain will benefit from the appropriate use of the ICTs in agriculture.
Dr. Vethaiya BALASUBRAMANIAN