The rise of technology is happening in the way we live, including how we talk to each other, make friends, and do business. People from the younger groups who are good with technology can’t even imagine a world without the internet or cell phones. Essentially, establishing a direct connection with the consumer is far more simplified for new-gen farmers in India.
Top 5 Agricultural Mobile Apps, Best Farming Apps in India
If you have to put the farmer and the business on the same lines, the business will always be ahead. This needs to change. The mobile app is the best mode of direct market access for farmers. These mobile applications give real-time information, making a world of difference during the outstanding cycle. Smartphones have made much information available at a fingertip—market prices, buyers’ contact details, crop management, loans, and more. The increase in mobile usage in recent years will help over 4 crore people involved in farming in India.
Farmers often need accurate and updated information that is specific to their location. Here are 5 apps that provide mobile access to a range of services for Indian farmers, offering a wide range of inputs with an emphasis on local and practical information:
| Mobile App | Features | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| AgroStar: Kisan Agridoctor |
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| Pusa Krishi |
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| DeHaat |
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| AgriCentral |
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| Kisaan Helpline India |
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AgriCentral
- Purpose: AgriCentral offers a comprehensive platform for farmers to get real-time updates on crop care, weather conditions, and market prices.
Key Features:
- Crop Care: Tailored recommendations to enhance crop protection and management.
- Market View: Latest information on market prices for crops.
- Weather Forecasts: Hyperlocal weather updates.
- Community Support: Farmers can engage with fellow farmers and experts to share knowledge and tips.
Benefits: AgriCentral helps farmers improve their productivity by providing actionable insights and relevant data.
→ Download App ↓
2. Pusa Krishi
- Purpose: Developed by ICAR, this app disseminates advanced agricultural technologies and best practices. It also provides information regarding weather, market, and new schemes launched by the Indian government.
- Key Features:
- Information on new crop varieties
- Resource conservation techniques
- Crop management practices
- Benefits: Empowers farmers with the latest research and innovations, leading to more efficient and sustainable farming.
→ Download App ↓
3. DeHaat
- Purpose: DeHaat is a comprehensive agricultural platform that provides end-to-end solutions and services to farmers. It covers all aspects from providing seeds, fertilizers, and equipment to market linkages and advisory services.
- Key Features:
- Access to quality inputs like seeds and fertilizers
- Crop advisory services
- Market linkages for better price realization
- Benefits: Assists farmers in enhancing their productivity and profitability through access to high-quality inputs and expert advice, while also providing a direct link to markets.
→ Download App ↓
4. AgroStar: Kisan Agridoctor App
- Purpose: AgroStar provides farmers with personalized advice and a platform to purchase high-quality agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers.
Key Features:
- Personalized Agronomy Advice: Expert guidance on farming based on the farmer’s crop and location.
- Agricultural Inputs: Access to a wide range of seeds, fertilizers, and other farm essentials.
- Farmer Community: A forum where farmers can connect with each other and exchange knowledge and experiences.
Benefits: By combining expert advice with easy access to high-quality agricultural products, AgroStar helps farmers boost their productivity and profitability.
→ Download App ↓
5. Kisaan Helpline India
- Purpose: Kisaan Helpline provides farmers with local agricultural insights, pest control tips, and soil health reports to improve farm management.
Key Features:
- Localized Agricultural Insights: Information specific to the farmer’s region and crops.
- Pest Management: Expert advice on controlling common pests.
- Soil Health Reports: Detailed suggestions on improving soil quality for better yields.
Benefits: This app helps farmers address local farming challenges, improve soil health, and enhance overall farm productivity.
→ Download App ↓
The Digital Revolution in Agriculture
In the Indian context, as many as 60% of the country’s bread earners are employed in agriculture, and about 83% of its farmers are marginal or small-holding tenants. Unfortunately, many farmers are perpetually on the losing end, with government policies seldom favoring the downtrodden in general, and frequently, those dealing in perishable agricultural products, in particular. These farmers usually have to deal with unscrupulous middlemen who have over the years perfected the art of negotiating better terms of trade than the poor farmers.
Consequently, acquiring a decent and fair price has become a huge challenge for the average farmer, who is neither skilled in understanding the basic paraphernalia of market dynamics nor possesses the fiscal expertise that is a norm in the professional world to evaluate fluctuations or ascertain future trends. One such solution in the 21st century is perhaps engaging, empowering, and unleashing the power of communal brainstorming. Modern-day social media can probably be leveraged to translate it into making profound decisions on how the market can be dictated or is moving. This blog discusses the function of five mobile retail supply chain apps currently operating in India, all of which are proving beneficial by ensuring that farmers receive direct market access. The major objective is to highlight as well as to analyze the efficacy of these software packages in enabling a prospective small farmer in a remote isolated village to afford his produce to target markets located a few hundred Km (miles) apart.
The Growing Role of Technology in Agriculture
Agriculture was one of the first occupations, the forerunner of the modernizing economy. The growing role of technology in agriculture, especially mobile apps that empower farmers with vital tools and information, provides one more reason to celebrate this sector. No longer limited to the aspirations of an ‘ICAR’ (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), most farmers are now able to tap into an enormous, valley-wide reservoir of expertise and advice through their mobile phones. Many of these apps also facilitate a farmer’s creed as a primary producer, with direct access to the market. Here are five mobile apps that provide solutions or capabilities that are relevant to today’s farmers.
The Need for Direct Market Access
Agriculture is fundamentally a production process. The farming community stands out from other businesses in that it is merely a producer but accounts for 60 percent of the world’s population. The only way for relief to come is for us to move a significant percentage of our farmers out of agriculture. Technology is now helping in this by engaging farmers to perform more value-added tasks, such as ‘e-Choupal’, a tech center that can double as a school, a marketing office, a government kiosk, an information center, a money transfer point, and a communication center in rural areas. Over time, the number of high-value, low-volume crops will increase, and farmers will likely gain. While time will take its toll on agriculture, every other process will continue to benefit from improvements in processes and technologies. By doing so, society can deliver more food at competitive prices.
India is a country of small farmers. Around 80% of commercial farms are classified as small and marginal, as they hold only 2.5 acres or less of the operated area. The small farmers do not have a voice when there is a surplus in production and prices hit rock bottom. Starting from seed sowing until the produce reaches the market, nothing is guaranteed. If the monsoons fail, their crop will be affected drastically. Organic farming came and went, and nothing changed for the farmer. The farmer, on average, is underprivileged in terms of financial muscle. The only change that recent intervention has brought is that most of this information is available at one’s fingertips. Some of the new-age apps specialize in providing appropriate data for controlling various parameters and helping in decision-making.
Conclusion
The mobile phone applications mentioned above have been designed to facilitate ‘Direct Market Access‘ for farmers, thus informing and benefiting both the farmers and the buyers. These applications contribute to digitizing business transactions, enhancing transparency, improving resource efficiency, and strengthening competitive engagement—all aimed at augmenting farmer incomes. These apps are highly diverse in their offerings, providing a wide variety of benefits, and are crucial for addressing the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector.