The Indian Leaf Tobacco Development (ILTD) Division of ITC is exploring mobile telephony-based technology tools for personalised farmer communication. This comes after the popular e-Choupal initiative, which transformed the agricultural procurement value chain in the country.
The service, known as ‘Namma Sandesh’ is an interactive mobile telephony based communication service to farmers for provision of crop advisory on best agronomy practises, market prices, weather forecast and local news to farmers.
This platform will provide accurate and timely crop advisory services through mobile phones and the subscribed farmers will regularly receive a combination of voice and SMS messages at regular intervals throughout the crop cycle.
Mobile phones are now evolving into a powerful communication medium to farmers for improving agricultural productivity and profitability through provision of timely and accurate information.
The project is being rolled out in Mysore district in Karnataka with more than 5,500 farmers who grow tobacco and ragi, with a potential to cover more than 50,000 farmers in the district.
