The Hindu Business Line : Videoconferencing to be used to improve farm extension facilities

Ullal (Mangalore taluk), March 19 To provide better agricultural extension facilities in Karnataka, the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) is planning to provide videoconferencing facilities to farmers. Farm science centres at the district-level and Raitha Samparka Kendras (RSKs) at hobli-level ( Hobli is a cluster of villages. Several hoblis together form a taluk) will use videoconferencing facility for providing expert advice, for transfer of technology, and for disseminating information related to agricultural marketing.

Dr G. Eshwarappa, Director (Extension), UAS, Bangalore, has said this to presspersons on the sidelines of ‘cashew field day’ at Ullal in Mangalore taluk.

To be taken up under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana of the Union Government, the project to provide videoconferencing facility will be implemented in 831 RSKs (456 under the jurisdiction of UAS, Bangalore, and 375 under the jurisdiction of UAS, Dharwad) over the next five years.

He said that Rs 22.5 crore has been earmarked for the project for next five years.

In the first phase, videoconferencing facility would be provided to 125 RSKs in Karnataka (60 RSKs in 17 districts under the jurisdiction of UAS, Bangalore, and 65 RSKs in 12 districts under the jurisdiction of UAS, Dharwad) in the next three to four months.

Added to this, farm science centres at the district level will also get this facility. An amount of Rs 4 crore each has been earmarked for agricultural universities in Bangalore and Dharwad for the implementation of the facility in the first phase.

Stating that satellite medium will be used for providing this facility, Dr Eshwarappa said a memorandum of understanding has been signed with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) in this regard.

Villagers, who visit the RSKs and farm science centres in their areas, can consult the experts through videoconferencing. In the same way, plans are also there to provide information related to market analysis through this facility, he added.

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