EMERGING E-COMMUNICATION IN AGRIBUSINESS

Singh P. and Aravazhi A.

The farmer in a market with his produce lying beside waits normally for a middleman or
a trader to procure it at a marginal price if not a nominal one. The gap between the farmer
and the consumer is usually occupied by the intermediaries. These intermediaries make
unreasonable profit for themselves by blocking market and price information. This is a
usual scene in Indian agriculture, but the well known IT (Information Technology) has
pierced into the farming community in recent years. The IT is used in the form of internet
which is serving the purpose of providing information about trends in market prices of
various produces, weather, technical issues, best cultural practices, harvesting techniques,
details of buyers and sellers, etc. The days of hanging around markets or the 'mandis'
waiting for the agents to examine their stocks and dictate prices are over. Various
multinational companies have taken the initiative of providing a fair price to farmers
through internet communication. The farmers themselves forming a society and getting
installed an internet connected computer facility in their locality has proved to be a
courageous step. This society has a head or 'sanchalak' and calls the society as 'e-
choupal'. A similar kind of 'e-choupal' was launched one-and-a-half year ago in Madhya
Pradesh, India. The web sites provide farmers with real-time information on the latest
weather report, prices in various markets/mandis, global prices and the best farming
practices. All information based on farmers need is gathered and the content re-written in
some cases by farmers themselves for user-friendliness.
The direct contact of farmers and companies not only saves cost incurred on bagging,
transporting, loading & unloading, wastage and wrong weighting at the mandis, by the
farmers but also to the company by avoiding middlemen. The next step nowadays is
converting the computer from a mere supply chain mechanism to a one-stop shop for
information, knowledge, inputs and outputs and the interlocking of a network of partners.
This means not just enabling the farmer to sell his produce but also source his inputs and
daily items for household use. It has been seen to have tie-ups with companies for these
items. This is a supply chain innovation which is local to India but has broad applications
to the world. What is interesting is the social good it brings in the wake of the small and
marginal farmers. One of the problems in redesigning supply chain is how to use
different tools, thus making the various players still own the chain. Here, the farmer and
the team are involved in painting the big picture, so there is enthusiasm and a feeling of
ownership. Further, how do we avoid a channel conflict by finding space for the
middlemen. So unlike the past, where focus was on well -laid strategic plans, here we
give-experimentation based strategies more weightage. Even while we set up choupals all
over India, we have offers from international organisations to replicate this in Africa and
other developing countries.

Citation: International Conference on Communication for

Development in the Information Age: Extending the Benefits of
Technology for All. 07-09 January 2003 Eds. Basavaprabhu Jirli
Editor in Chief, Diapk De, K. Ghadei and Kendadmath, G.C.,
Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural
Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, (India).

Global Communication Research Association

Centre for International Communication, MaCquarie University, Sydney, Australia
GCRA – Varanasi Conference
Prof. Naren Chitty Prof. Dipak De
President - GCRA Organizing Secretary
naren.chitty@scmp.mq.edu.au dedipak@gmail.com

Prof. Basyouni Hamada Dr. Basavaprabhu Jirli

Secretary General - GCRA Editor in Chief
basyouni2000@yahoo.com bjirli@gmail.com