How A Digital Platform Ensured Good Harvest For Odisha Farmer – ODISHA BYTES

Khageswar Dalai, 46, from Balimeda village underneath Basudevpur block of Bhadrak district and his household of 5 is completely dependent upon paddy and vegetable cultivation. His village is probably the most distant within the coastal area of Basudevpur Block, round 35 km from Bhadrak. Communication, transport, irrigation, seasonal migration and lack of earnings alternatives are the most important challenges right here.
He owns seven acres of land on which he does paddy farming through the Kharif season and through Rabi, he grows greens like women finger, tomato, bitter gourd, cauliflower, brinjal in 50 decimals of land space.
Being a distant space, hardly any officers or consultants go to his village to sensitise farmers on crop cultivation and different livelihood points. 
Dalai’s life modified for the higher 4 years again with the assistance of Reliance Foundation’s mobile-based audio advisory. They ship him a crop advisory each Wednesday and Saturday with the content material supply of the Regional Research Technology Transfer Station (RRTTS), Ranital.
“They send reminders and alerts on my mobile through voice SMS suitable for my standing crop – alert and advisory on weather, varietal selection, seed treatment, weed management, nutrient and disease management. I am very happy to receive this advisory which I believe very accurate and useful for me,” stated Dalai.
“I used to find it very difficult to manage weeds in the paddy field. Earlier, I used to go to a pesticide dealer for weedicide. His medicines never worked. Then I asked the RF experts on their helpline no 1800-419-8800.  With the tips I got from them, I was able to manage all types of weeds that grow at different times and different stages of paddy. Now I take preventive and curative measures for the cultivation process according to the advice given by RF experts. I listen to their voice message, call on the helpline no and even participate in the audio-conference of RF. I have been able to control disease and pest attack, including fruit and shoot borer and wilt of brinjal,” added the farmer.
 

“The good thing about RF’s expertise is that they give an accurate and timely solution, just like the feeding schedule of an infant. Since it is a free service, I promoted the RF Helpline no 1800-419-8800 among many farmers for knowledge support of their cultivation practice. Many farmers have benefitted from their advice. Many times, I help farmers by going to their field and asks experts of RF for a solution from there itself. They also suggest alternative medicines in case a particular medicine is not available in the market. They never seem to get tired of giving solutions,” Dalai stated. 
“With the support of RF, last Kharif season, I got 200 packets of paddy (140 quintals) and am expecting a good income. Before my association with RF ,I used to get around 110 quintals of paddy. Last Rabi season I got a profit of Rs. 40000 from vegetable cultivation. Now I am not only increasing my crop harvest, reducing crop loss from pest and disease attacks and cost of cultivation but also taking the right decisions to better manage my agricultural activity,” Dalai exulted.