What were the old and new physical and information flows in the

channel?
Old (pre-existing) and new (added by the project) physical and information flows in the
agricultural supply chain underwent a considerable alteration in the framework of the ITC
eChoupal effort. Here is a summary of the modifications made to these flows:

Old Physical Flows:

Traditional Procurement: Prior to the eChoupal program, the physical flow required middlemen
like commission brokers and neighborhood dealers. These middlemen would generally deliver
the crops to marketplaces or gathering hubs so that farmers could sell their goods.

Bulk transportation: Crops from different producers were frequently combined throughout the
physical movement of agricultural goods. Maintaining the quality and traceability of each
farmer's goods was difficult as a result.

New Physical Flows:

Direct Sourcing: ITC launched a new physical flow with the eChoupal program where they
directly sourced agricultural products from individual farmers. Farmers may send their produce
to the neighborhood eChoupal Centers, where it was bought and shipped to ITC's marketplaces
or processing facilities.

Quality Control: The advent of eChoupals made it possible to better regulate the produce's
quality. The quality of each farmer's harvest could be monitored, and standards could be upheld
more successfully.

Old Information Flows:

Limited Information: Prior to the eChoupal project, farmers had only sporadic access to data on
crop pricing, weather predictions, and contemporary farming methods. They relied on word-of-
mouth for information and were frequently dependent on middlemen for knowledge about the
market.

Lack of Transparency: Farmers frequently did not receive fair remuneration for their goods due
to a lack of price transparency in the information flow.

New Information Flows:

Access to Information: Through the eChoupal program, a new information flow was established
that gave farmers access to current crop prices, weather predictions, and best agricultural
practices. Through the internet, this information was accessible at eChoupal Centers.

Transparency: As information flows improved in both transparency and equity, farmers were
better able to decide when and where to sell their crops. This lessened their reliance on
information middlemen.

In conclusion, the ITC eChoupal effort increased information access, introduced direct sourcing,
and revolutionized the conventional agricultural supply chain. This change aims to provide
farmers more control and increase the agricultural ecosystem's efficiency and openness.
What barriers did ITC face in embarking on this project?
The most important difficulties encountered by the ITC eChoupal effort were undoubtedly:

Lack of Rural Infrastructure: The dearth of dependable rural infrastructure, such as access to
power and the internet, was a major obstacle that called for significant expenditures and efforts
to be overcome.

Digital gap: For the effort to be successful, bridging the digital gap and giving farmers who were
not comfortable with digital technologies training and support was essential.

Intermediary Resistance: The eChoupal's direct sourcing strategy presented a big problem since
it made established agricultural supply chain middlemen feel threatened.

Quality Control Challenges: Logistical and quality control challenges have to be resolved in order
to guarantee the consistent quality and traceability of agricultural products coming from
individual farmers.

Trust Building : Building confidence was crucial for the eChoupal initiative's acceptability and
adoption among farmers, who were frequently initially dubious of the new system.

Environmental Factors: The state of the weather and the environment can have a big influence
on agriculture. The success of the effort might be impacted by elements such as droughts,
floods, and other environmental difficulties.