Farming solution at fingertips
The government yesterday launched three mobile phone applications aimed at bringing crop production technologies to the doorsteps of 1.51 crore farm households to boost yields.
The apps titled Krishoker Digital Thikana, Krishoker Janala and Pesticide Prescriber are also expected to help thousands of agricultural extension workers who often find it difficult to provide solutions to problems facing farmers due to a lack of agriculture-related information in one place.
Brainchilds of three agricultural extension officials, these apps contain databases of pictures along with texts that can be accessed both online and offline, and on computers and mobile phones.
Inaugurating the launching programme at AKM Giasuddin Milky Auditorium in the capital's Khamarbari, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said, “We will have to remain dependent on others if we lag behind in food production. We will take all measures to provide extension services to farmers.”
The Access to Information (a2i) programme of the Prime Minister's Office and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) jointly organised the event.
Those who developed the apps said their focus was to help farmers grow crops more efficiently, prevent pest attacks and control numerous diseases that eat up a significant portion of crops every year.
Farmers lose an estimated average of 37 percent of their annual rice crop to pests and diseases, according to Rice Knowledge Bank developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
But by using the app, Krishoker Janala, farmers and extension officials can easily identify a disease inflicting damage on paddy fields. A farmer will have to select the picture showing the particular kind of disease on his mobile screen to learn about the problem and how to address it.
The app has information on more than 1,000 diseases of 120 plants, including major crops.
Its innovator Md Abdul Malek, an upazila-level agriculture officer, said the idea of developing such an app had crossed his mind as he faced difficulty in identifying the problems that farmers were complaining about.
“What I thought was a pictorial description would be helpful to understand [diseases] and suggest ways [to address them],” he said at the event.
Apart from identifying diseases or fertiliser deficiency, famers will also learn about production, harvesting and processing techniques and pest and disease control methods through the app, Krishoker Digital Thikana.
The software will enable growers in remote locations to follow modern methods.
“Farmers from the bank of the Jamuna [river] had to come to us taking a lot of trouble. The app will reduce their hassles in getting extension support,” said Muhammad Shahadat Hussain Siddiqui who developed Krishoker Digital Thikana.
The other app, Pesticide Prescriber contains readily available and easily accessible information on pesticides so that farmers can fight pest and save their crops, according to A2i.
Its brainchild, Sukalpo Das built the app to help growers and agricultural workers identify crop-specific pesticides with validated information on the generic names, available brands, pack size, application methods and manufacturers.
The app provides the names of all pesticides approved by the government's plant protection authority.
“It is difficult for an extension official to keep in mind names of thousands of pesticides. But this app will be instrumental in offering solutions,” Sukalpa said.
Steps have been taken also to engage 15,000 government officials in ensuring that farmers use these apps.
Secretary of the agriculture ministry Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah said crop production has reached close to the optimum level.
“It will be difficult to sustain the achievement without innovation.” So, farmers should be encouraged to use the apps, Moinuddin said.
DAE Director General Md hamidur Rahman said his office would start working to ensure the use of the apps by farmers from next month.