Today, the mouse shall till the land

Today, the mouse shall till the land
SAIKAT DATTA

PUNE, JAN 13: Pune's mushrooms in the United States and its flowers in Vienna? For farmers in distant talukas across the hinterland, here's a chance to ride the information wave.

It all makes perfect business sense: broaden the farmer's horizon and tell him about the opportunities out there, using an information centre that will connect him to the world and help sell his produce to a global clientele. That was the idea that anchored the proposal for a Gramin Information Centre (GIC) at Chale village in Mulshi taluka near Pune, all set to be inaugurated on Sunday.

Serving as a hub centre for connectivity, the GIC also plans to host agricultural experts to come and say their piece. Thus, research and information that would otherwise remain within academic confines, will be channelised through the GIC.

The idea germinated in the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) and the Gomukh Trust. Helping them was the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture.

Stepping away from the singularly urban corporate initiatives that the MCCIA was known for, a sub-committee then started working on a project to conquer the Net. ``The State government had set up a agricultural website for farmers but we wanted to connect them to its benefits,'' says Shubhadra Shintre, deputy secretary, agricultural department of the MCCIA.

The centre, as visualised, will be a place that would talk the farmer's lingo to the jingle jangle of moolah. It will help them through the reams on information available through different media, be it a humble brochure or a healthy byte into juicy chunks of relevant information.

``And the local farmers will form the committee that will run this Centre,'' ays Sunil Waman from Gomukh Trust as he shuttles between home and the project site.

When will it rain? What is the soil composition? What are the state-sponsored projects that could benefit? And most important how would one search for a lucrative market with the click of a button? The Centre will attempt to find an answer to these questions.

Marrying the plough to the mouse will be a local from the same area. ``The centre will employ a local agricultural graduate who is hooked on to the basic concepts of e-commerce,'' says Shintre. Though the Net will be an integral part of the Information centre, old workhorses like the telephone with an STD connection and brochures that speak will also be around.

Most websites are a distant blip on the humble farmer's radar. Language is their biggest barrier. Crossing that hurdle will be local boys who will man these centres. They will talk to the bhaus and kakas and tell them of what's available.

A major problem for the farmers has been the lack of access to key information. Markets too far away have left behind legacy of low yields and exploitation by middle men out to make a killing. The information centre plans to battle this trend by connecting the farmer to the selling arena.

In the MCCIA's participation lies an inherent advantage. They talk business and have always carried their corporate expertise into their ventures. The sub-committee on agriculture has also been looking at food processing projects in these areas. For long, this was one sector that promised immense potential, but lacked connectivity. Small centres in these villages remained back at home, lacking the resources to grow. Now the information centre promises connectivity and expertise to get them cracking, say MCCIA officials.

Connecting the last mile, say internet service providers, has been the biggest challenge. A concept that holds true for India's villages. Hopefully, the GIC initiative will bridge the age old plough to a `connected' world.