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Thiruvananthapuram March 19 The Kerala State Information Technology Mission has launched a toll-free agricultural trade call centre and the revamped e-Krishi Web site.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in the city on Monday, the Kerala Agriculture Minister, Mr Mullakkara Ratnakaran, said the portal should help to create a sense of community and spirit of unity among farmers in the State.

The absence of proper guidance on global developments that will impact local agricultural operations is a problem that confronts Kerala's farmers. Initiatives such as this could help solve such problems, he added.

The e-Krishi portal, www.e-krishi.org, is a free site and contains information on a number of topics related to agriculture including agricultural prices and trends.

A toll-free agricultural trade call centre (1800-425-1661) has also been launched as part of the e-Krishi project. According to Mr K.R. Jyothilal, Secretary-IT, Government of Kerala, the Web site will soon offer more resources and facilities.

Kisan-friendly

Financed by the United Nations Development Programme, the project intends to create a network of farming communities across Kerala who will have access to information on subjects such as market demand, prices, good agricultural practices, quality agricultural inputs and so on. It also envisages using agri-business centres to enable farmers and other stakeholders to interact with agricultural service providers in the private, Government and non-government sectors.

PILOT PROJECT

The pilot of the e-Krishi project is currently on in Malappuram district. The facilities and resources of `Akshaya e-kendras' such as computers, printers, scanners and Internet connectivity are being used to reach out to farmers in the district.

So far, 12,500 farmers in the district are part of the project, as are approximately 200 buyers. Major exporters in the region are also working with it.

According to officials of the IT Mission, the e-Krishi project will be extended to seven more districts - Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragode - by April.

PROJECT PARTNERS

Besides the Kerala State IT Mission, other agencies involved in the project are the National Institute of Smart Government, Hyderabad, Kerala Department of Agriculture and Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala.

More Stories on : Information Technology | E-Governance | Internet | Kerala

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