ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

Presentation by Ankur sikka Biswarup Mukherjee Cheta Muradia Imlikokba Aier Mohan

Niti Vijay Preetika Grover Ritika Dewan Shalini

GROUP NAME : WHITE COLLARS

AGRICULTURE in INDIA
Ranks 2nd Worldwide in Farm Output. India is the 6th largest Coffee Producer in the World world's largest cattle population (281 million). India accounts for 10% of the world fruit production with first rank in the production of mangoes, papaya, banana. Indian agriculture policy is aimed essentially at improving food self sufficiency and alleviating hunger through food distribution

World Bank: India Country Overview 2008

Slow agricultural growth is a concern for policymakers as some two-thirds of Indias people depend on rural employment for a living. Current agricultural practices are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable and India's yields for many agricultural commodities are low. Poorly maintained irrigation systems and almost universal lack of good extension services are among the factors responsible. Farmers' access to markets is hampered by poor roads, rudimentary market infrastructure, and excessive regulation.

IT can help an average Indian farmer to get relevant information regarding

Agro-inputs, Crop production technologies Market support

Agro-finance
management of farm agri-business. Agro processing The excellent scopes of Internet are waiting to develop agricultural education management through smart exposure of agricultural teachers and educational planners, class rooms, virtual class as well as dropout agricultural learners. The crop forecasting, input management, command area management, watershed management, land and water resources development , drinking water potential mapping precision management, natural disaster management, fishery management , hill area development and post harvest management are the key areas, where Information Technology can play its imperative impact

I.T. as a tool for direct contribution to agricultural

productivity
SEEDS DEVELOPMENT SOIL DEVELOPMENT WEATHER FORECASTING
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I.T. as an indirect tool for empowering farmers to take informed and quality decisions
AWARENESS DATABASE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM INFORMATION ON NEW OPPURTUNITIES MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR CORRECTIVE MEASURES

I N F O R M A T I O N
T E C N O L O G Y

LABOUR

REPLACED BY

MACHINES

Precision farming, popular in developed countries, extensively uses IT to make direct contribution to agricultural productivity. The techniques of remote sensing using satellite technologies, geographical information systems, agronomy and soil sciences are used to increase the agricultural output. This approach is capital intensive and useful where large tracts of land are involved. Consequently it is more suitable for farming taken up on corporate lines.

The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture is increasingly important. E-Agriculture is an emerging field focusing on the enhancement of agricultural and rural development through improved information and communication processes. More specifically, e-Agriculture involves the conceptualization, design, development, evaluation and application of innovative ways to use information and communication technologies (IT) in the rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture. E-Agriculture is a relatively new term and we fully expect its scope to change and evolve as our understanding of the area grows.

Indian Agricultural Web Sites www.ycmou.com/agri www.khetiwadi.com www.kisan.net www.krishiworld.com www.nic.in/agrico

Areas Where IT is used beneficially

A Database for Crops to be maintained Production Techniques and Information A System of inquiry about Farm machines and other Agricultural inputs such as seeds, pesticides , fertilizers etc.

Some of the key concern areas where IT can help the farmers to take better decisions Information about the benefits of increased irrigation Cost effective use of chemicals and fertilizers How and When to market the produce When to order Agricultural inputs.

Low literacy rate among the Indian farmers Lack of proper communication infrastructure Cost of computers Small individual farmers inability to adapt to IT due to financial and / or educational constraint Low adaptability to IT due to lack of awareness

About 85% of farmers in India are small farmers with less than 2 hectares of land.

CONSTRAINTS
Haphazard Development User Friendliness Local Languages Restrictions by Govt. Map Restriction Policy Power Supply not available for Long Hours Connectivity needs to be Improved Bandwidth

Sources that can generate revenue for rural kiosks are:

Distance education Training to Upgrade Skills Local Agent-supply to Rural Outlets Rural Post-Office e-Governance

IT and Indian Agriculture in the Future

Technologically it is possible to develop suitable systems, as outlined in the previous sections, to cater to the information needs of Indian farmer. User friendly systems, particularly with content in local languages, can generate interest in the farmers and others working at the grassroots. It is possible to create dedicated networks Harness the power of Internet to make these services are available to all parts of the country.

The Indian farmer and those who are working for their welfare need to be epowered
Technology has/will increase agricultural productivity Technology development has-been/will-be sustainable Technology is, therefore, the basis for Sustainable Agriculture