1. Techkriti: 28 States
Using Mobile Communications Technology to
challenge a major social problem –
farmer suicides
Abhishek Gupta
TECH51904
Final Year Undergraduate Student
Materials Science and Engineering
IIT Kanpur
2. Alarming increase in suicides
• Exponential increase after the 1991 economic liberalization
• Introduction of GM crops also affected suicides significantly
• Most developing countries are faced with this issue
3. The largest wave of suicides in human history.
- Citizens for Accountable Governance
284,694 farmer suicides in a decade (2000-2010)
GDP through agriculture: 20 pc
Population into agriculture: 75 pc
5. Major causes of indebtedness
Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology –
• Withdrawal of government intervention from safety nets
such as fair price shops – adverse role of middlemen
• Reduced price of agriculture produces
• Increasing dependence of small farmers on
moneylenders, at rates of interest from 24 to 60 percent
per annum, sometimes even more – lack of
institutionalized credit system
• Cumulative crop loss
6. • Intermediaries in distributive trade
– APMC Acts of 1960’s licensed middlemen grew in
number
– Hoarding food grains no food security food prices
inflation
• Local moneylenders
– Sources required to get through the red-tape of banks
– Immediate repayment price is bargained
• Post-harvest losses
– one-fourth of the global agricultural produce by weight
– Transportation + produce rotting without buyer + other
damages
– Damaged goods if fresh have a market still – small hotels
7. What the mobile does!
• A platform between the government and our farmer
through –
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–
–
–
Application
SMS
Call center
Videos
• Role of middlemen in scaring the farmer minimized –
now he knows the equilibrium market price
• Any personalized information requested on crop
production, pattern, soil, conservation policies, etc.
8. Information from Nodal
center to farmer to be sent
periodically
Information the farmer is
required to send after
harvest
9. Inclusion of Buyers – Direct marketing
•
•
•
•
Reduces post-harvest losses
Direct link between producer and consumer
Registered trading
Varied markets
A potential message from
the farmer to a dealer in
our mobile_Farming model
10. Information accessible directly
•
•
•
•
Lending rates at banks under targeted schemes
Weather forecast updates
Effective utilization of resources
Updates on better performances and
encouragement
• Social issues
Crucial technical know-how on
effective pesticide spraying could be
accessed by our farmer under our
mobile_Farming model
11. Challenges
• TV or Print media
• Trust Deficit – farmers have been exploited repeatedly
• Political mal-intent
• Soil conditions’ surveys are outdated
• Resources – Financial, Human (Experts)
12. ‘‘ Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan, Jai Vigyaan’’
• Apt that the industrial and technological
revolution pay back to the agrarian sector now
• Farmer should be enjoying the benefits of the
technological era
• INCLUSIVE GROWTH
