Internet Based Technologies: An Empowering and knowledge sharing engine
for growth.
Seventy five percent of the world's poor live in the rural
areas. Reducing knowledge gaps and sharing information of economic value for
farmer is an essential input for increasing productivity and boosting growth in
rural areas. Empowering farmers with relevant, accurate and timely information
about prices being quoted in the market place can help the farmer to take
appropriate production related decisions as well as strengthening his bargaining
power.
Thus the availability of prompt and reliable information about what is happening
in the market, what quantities are arriving and what prices are quoted for
different commodities considerably improve the decision making capability of the
farmers and strengthens their bargaining power. At present, the information is
disseminated through various media like radio, newspapers, blackboard display
and public address system at market yards. The information provided by these
methods is stale and does not help the farmers sufficiently in taking decisions
in marketing their produce. The farmers are also not able to know about the
prices prevailing in other markets, as the Market Committees are able to
disseminate information in respect of their own markets only. The farmers are,
therefore, left with no alternative but to dispose of their produce in the
nearest market, even at uneconomic prices. Improvement in the present market
information system by linking all important rural markets in the State, the
State Agricultural Marketing Boards & Agriculture and Horticulture Departments,
under the Agriculture Marketing Portal will enable farmers to take market based
decisions and benefit other market users as well.
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