New technologies are proving more helpful every day, even when it comes to applications like rural agriculture. One such example is IFA Krishi, an Android-based mobile application platform that provides a host of useful information to farmers: agriculture news, fertilizer calculations, information on pests/diseases and their remedies, and a tool to post instant enquiries in the farmer forum, seek solutions from experts, and find market prices and trader information on various markets. Farmers can also receive notifications about opportunities posted by government and other organizations.
MTCP2 promotes value chain development and market linkages through ICTs and connects farmers with market traders and agriculture experts, and therefore jumped at the chance of supporting farmers in using this tool. Overall, MTCP2 supports approximately 200 individuals (both individual farmers and farmers’ groups, including youth, Dalits, women and indigenous farmers) in agricultural production and marketing through these means.
One of the benefiting farmers’ groups in Nepal is led by a woman named Tika Bastola. In 2014, her group established the Rita Mausami Krishi Farm in Dhapakhel village, Lalitpur, with a financial investment of 2 million rupees (about US$19,500). They produce 15 tons of tomatoes and 15,000 kg of other vegetables per season.
According to Bastola: “The weather forecast and market price information from IFA Krishi is a big help to us. We can check the best prices using the IFA Krishi app. Besides the weather forecast and market prices, we also get information on using organic fertilizer, vitamins and pesticides.”
Since they started using the application, the farm has increased its vegetable production by nearly 20 per cent.
The Medium Term Cooperation Program Phase 2 (MTCP2), a five-year capacity building program supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and European Union (EU), has been implemented in 19 countries across 3 sub-regions—Southeast Asia, South Asia, Pacific—engaging 1,544 sub-national farmer organizations with total membership of around 22 million women and men farmers. The funding support (total budget of $ 5 Million for whole duration of project across 19 countries) serves as a catalytic fund that will allow FOs to enhance their capacity to be effective channels of economic services to farmers. The program thus far have contributed to the formation of strong national platform of Farmers’ Organization with improved capacity to engage in policy processes and mobilize resources from mainstream agricultural development programs like extension services, credit and pre and post harvest facilities. the program also helped in transforming farmers association into commodity-based cooperatives to strengthen the role of the small-scale farmers within an inclusive and sustainable value-chain. The program is being implemented by the consortium Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC).
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