Agri-help on Net for farmers

A farmer at Bhilaipahari in East Singhbhum. File picture

Jamshedpur, April 13: For the farmers of East Singhbhum, information on agricultural matters will soon be a click away.

Set up by the Union government in 2005 as a single-window support system, Agricultural Technology Information Centres (ATIC) are all set to debut in the district.

An ATIC links various units of a research institution with intermediary users and end-users (farmers) in a decision-making and problem-solving exercise.

West Singhbhum and Dumka already boast these centres while East Singhbhum was included in the programme this financial year. The Centre has granted Rs 66 lakh for the project and will release more funds in phases.

ATICs, which will be set up at the headquarters of all blocks, will offer farm-worthy techniques, technologies and knowledge material from various research institutions, benefiting farmers, farm entrepreneurs, extension workers and development agencies.

“Farmers can get a wide range of information —from choosing the right seeds to getting the best market price — with the help of the Internet at the ATCs. An operator will be posted at the centre while a block technical manager will be in charge of information technology,” said Jemaliel Hansda, East Singhbhum district agriculture officer.

“Each block will have one building housing the centre, where farmers from villages can come to seek solutions to their problems. The building will have about three rooms and a conference hall,” he added.

East Singhbhum district has also established krishak pathshalas (farmers’ schools) at various blocks.

However, the pathshala project has been taken up on an experimental basis. The theories and lessons imparted in classrooms require to be implemented on field with the help of resource persons from the district agriculture office.