Reliance Foundations Information Services like toll free helpline, voice message and audio conferences are extensively used by farmers across the nation for farming advisories and recommendations. The platform provides timely information and guidance to help reduce farming peril during demanding times.
This is a story of Laxmikanta Layek, a farmer by profession from Tetulia village of Indpur block under Bankura district. He is connected with the RFIS platform for last couple of years. Last year during Kharif season, he was distressed by the severe infection in his paddy field, spread in three bighas (one acre) of land.
Laxmikanta Layek used to buy chemicals from local market for controlling pest attacks & plant diseases according to traditional method without knowing much about process or quantity of use. As a result, he was not getting desired result and was almost certain to lose all the paddy in his three bighas of land due to the attack last season.
During that period, he came to know about RFIS audio conference with the farmers of his area in collaboration with Department of Agriculture through one of the programme support. He attended the audio conference and shared the symptom of his paddy leaf getting yellowish with brown spots with RF resource person. After hearing about the symptom, the resource person from Department of Agriculture shared that his paddy field got infected with Khaira disease and suggested him to spread nine Kilos of potash in every bigha. In addition, suggested him to mix one ml of Propiconazole in one litre of water and spray it across three bighas of land.
Basis expert suggestions, he applied the prescribed medicines and within few weeks he started to get the positive result. From a hopeless situation he goes on to produce 21 quintals of paddy in his three bighas of land. Later he sold the paddy at a rate of Rs 1350 per quintal in the market and fetch a net profit of approx. Rs 20,000/-. He was immensely satisfied with the support extended by RF in treating the disease on time and saving him from severe loss.
Today he regularly uses RFs toll free helpline number to seek guidance related to paddy and vegetable cultivation. In addition, soil testing was also conducted in his field last year by RF in collaboration with Nimpith Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
Laxmikanta Layek shared that it is not always profit but experience & learnings that counts more. He hope to raise crops in a more systematic manner in coming days through RF support. The biggest motivation factor for him was the accessibility and affordability provided by RF to reach out to experts & scientists in the field of agriculture from home.
Today he recommends farmers of his village and nearby villages, to get connected with RF IS platform for addressing their queries related to agriculture & livestock.
Data Source -
Pradip Panda