Bhubaneswar: Women farmers of Odisha will soon be equipped with smart phones which will keep them updated about the latest information about agricultural business and practices across the country. They will not be at the mercy of cartels of local businessmen who decide what price they should be given for their produce.

Odisha co-operation minister Surjya Narayan Patro said: "We will provide smartphones to our women farmers. It will help them get a linkage to the vast agriculture market. They will get an access to the best practices in farming adopted at different places. It will help them keep a track of their agricultural production, weather conditions, loan facilities and improving connectivity."

He further said: "We will provide the smartphones before the kharif season starts. More than 70 per cent women farmers will get the phones by this time."

Sources said the department would distribute the more "user friendly" android phones. Earlier, the state government had distributed smartphones to nearly 15,000 farmers. In another development, the state government has sanctioned around Rs 7,600 crore loans to farmers.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the reduction of share linkage of various co-operative societies to enable farmers to avail agriculture term loans from the existing 10 per cent to nominal fixed rates.

Co-operative banks are playing a pivotal role in dispensation of crop loans in the state. The share of the co-operative sector is more than 65 per cent at the state level, while the same is only about 16 per cent at the national level.

To improve the share of the co-operative banks in providing agriculture term loans, the Odisha government has decided to reduce the share linkage of co-operative societies and simplify the procedure.

Jumbo herd

A herd of around 40 jumbos are wrecking havoc in villages bordering Bengal in Mayurbhanj. These elephants have strayed into the Sulipada area from Bengal forests.