In a country where more than half the population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities, it is essential to ensure that modern development tools reach every section of this sector. Rural India is playing a major role in Digital India by rapidly adapting to the digital revolution. This development has also largely influenced the age-old agriculture sector and modernized the farming practices of Indian farmers. Let’s see how farmers are benefiting from the ever-increasing development of modern technology.
Access to information
Farming or kheti, which is considered a physically demanding occupation, is not just limited to manual labor but also the mental labor which goes into the research, planning and execution. The Green Revolution and the discovery of HYV seeds were proof of the importance of disseminating information to farmers for best agricultural practices. Thanks to digitalisation, farmers can easily access information related to crop health, yields, irrigation practices and much more. Research done by agricultural institutes reaches farmers quickly and helps them improve their yield and take care of their crops while also keeping environmental harmony in mind.
Rise of agrostore and e-commerce platforms
The reach of the internet and mobile phones in every rural corner of the country has helped farmers establish a digital presence. E-commerce platforms allow producers to cater to a larger audience and directly connect with consumers and businesses. This eliminates the concept of middlemen and allows farmers to take control of their produce and prices. Agro Stores sell all kinds of agricultural machinery to farmers and equip them with the latest technology without them having to visit physical markets.
Increase in productivity and efficiency
With the latest farm machinery and updated knowledge, farmers can increase their yield. Farmers can monitor their farms using artificial intelligence and GPS tools, efficiently manage water for their crops and spray pesticides and insecticides using drone technology. In this way, a lot of labor hours are saved. Horticulture farmers benefit from precision seeding, weeding, irrigation, and temperature regulation of climate-sensitive crops.
Ease of agricultural loans
One of the most important contributions of the digitalisation of agriculture is the ease in the procurement of loans. Finance companies and targeted government schemes have spread digital literacy at the grassroots level which has enabled the farmers to quickly access low-interest agricultural loans. Farmers can apply for bank loans from the remotest places, which helps with timely credit creation and mitigates risks and unfavorable crop situations.
Apart from technological benefits, digital platforms are helping farmers to stand up to climate change and adopt environment-friendly practices while also improving their profits. Many online apps like the Fasal app are helping farmers with precision farming practices using the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. Digitalisation has completely transformed modern-day farming and is helping the agriculture sector with efficiency, productivity, cost cutting, reducing labor and becoming climate change resilient.