Promote Digital Media to connect farmers with market, Odisha Govt urged

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 8:

The Naveen Patnaik led BJD government of Odisha should facilitate infrastructure for the growth of the digital media, which can be used by Odia farmers to connect to the local and global market to sell their produce with a better profit on investment, was the unanimous culmination of the experts at a seminar organized by Janata Vikas Manch (JVM) in Bhubaneswar on January 7.

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Setting the agenda for the one-day Seminar titled `Use of Web, Social Media & Mobile Technology in Agriculture Sector for Communication, Employment and Livelihood Opportunities for Odia Farmers & Rural Youth’, Jagdish Pradhan, former member of National Farmers Commission said, “Marketing is a major issue for the farmers. They should be organized and they should form farmers’ clubs. The farmers’ clubs can help the individual farmers in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) effectively for selling their produce in the market.”

KC Mishra, Founder of e-Kuteer Rural Management Services, which provides online marketing services for agricultural products in India, said, “We should take ICT to the farmers. The IT module for the farmer can be designed by living in the field through soil and seed testing. ICT can be a powerful tool for Odia farmers to connect, converge and collaborate not only in Odisha, but also with the global market”.

Surendranath Pasupalak, Agrometerologist of OUAT said “The rural youth and civil society should join hands with the government to educate farmers in thr state about the digital media which will help them in various ways.”

“BJD government should have a will power to adopt digital media in a comprehensive manner for the betterment of the farmers. A multi-pronged strategy should be adopted to address various issues related to the convergence of agriculture with ICT in Odisha. Also, there needs to be a special focus for the development of the farmers of Western Odisha, who are committing suicides in large numbers for the past several years,” said Baidyanath Mishra, Editor of Koshal Horizon.

The seminar was organized by JVM in association with Sahabhagi Vikash Abhiyaan (SVA) and Nirman.

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