ICT to help increase fish production

Summary

The speaker discusses a collaborative program aimed at supporting marginalized farmers in Bihar and Jharkhand through the use of ICT tools. The program maps water bodies in these dry areas, which are often overlooked by public investments, and collects data on water bodies and households via mobile apps. This information is integrated into government programs and used for technical advisories, helping farmers improve fish farming practices. The goal is to make rain-fed farming systems more visible, increase productivity, and connect farmers to government resources, markets, and technical experts.

Takeaways

• 💧 The project focuses on supporting rain-fed farmers in marginal areas, particularly in Bihar and Jharkhand, where water bodies are often overlooked in public investments.
• 📊 By using ICT tools, the project aims to map small water bodies, making them visible and integrating them into government programs.
• 🌱 The goal is to improve the livelihoods of farmers by collecting detailed data on water bodies through mobile-based applications used by village-level workers.
• 📱 Data is collected with GPS stamps and includes household surveys, water body inventories, and technical information like water size and pH levels.
• 🌍 The platform provides a real-time, GIS-enabled database accessible online, allowing officials and scientists to support farmers with personalized advice.
• 📈 The system tracks the life cycle of each water body and its production, generating reports that feed into government plans like NREGA and watershed programs.
• 🤝 The platform facilitates collaboration between farmers, government officials, and scientists to improve water body management and farming practices.
• 🎣 The project aims to connect fishery economies by generating demand for fish seedlings and linking farmers to nurseries, thereby enhancing market access.
• 🌐 The platform seeks to go beyond monitoring, using ICT to create a knowledge-sharing tool that connects farmers to technical experts and government resources.
• 🚀 The project has the potential to scale up to 100,000 water bodies, with an estimated production capacity of 500 kg of fish per body, significantly boosting local economies.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the collaborative program discussed in the script?

The program focuses on making rain-fed farmers and marginalized areas, particularly in Jharkhand and Bihar, more visible to public investments. It aims to use ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to gather data on water bodies and connect these farmers with government programs.

Why are areas like Jharkhand and Bihar often excluded from public investments?

These areas, which are rain-fed and have small farms and water bodies, are often overlooked because they do not fit into the larger public policy paradigms that typically focus on more visible agricultural systems.

How does the ICT application work in this initiative?

The ICT application is mobile-based and used by village-level workers to collect data on households and water bodies. This data includes GPS-stamped locations, photos, technical details (like water body size and pH levels), and is uploaded to a central website for analysis and advisory generation.

What kind of data is collected about water bodies using the mobile application?

The data includes GPS-stamped locations of water bodies, household information, seasonality, water body size, pH value, and technical details such as its inventory and condition.

How does the program help farmers connect with technical experts and government officials?

The data collected through the ICT application is available online in a GIS-enabled format, allowing scientists, government officials, and village workers to access it. This helps facilitate conversations between farmers and experts, ensuring that farmers receive real-time advice and support.

What role do village-level workers play in this program?

Village-level workers are responsible for collecting data on households and water bodies using the mobile app. They also help farmers by providing technical advisories and acting as intermediaries between farmers and the larger public systems.

How does the program integrate with existing government programs?

The collected data is used to generate reports and advisories that can be integrated into existing government plans such as MGNREGA and watershed programs. This ensures that the investments and resources are properly aligned with the needs of the marginalized communities.

What potential does the program have in terms of economic impact?

The program has the potential to impact up to 100,000 water bodies, with a minimum estimated fish harvest of 500 kg per water body. This can significantly boost the local fish economy, benefiting small and marginal farmers.

Is there a cost for farmers to use the ICT technology?

Currently, there is no direct cost for farmers to use the ICT platform. The village-level worker's costs are covered by either private or government-funded programs. In the future, there may be potential for market-based services that could introduce payment-based models.

How often is the data updated, and what are the ongoing costs involved in maintaining the database?

Data is generated annually and updated as the production cycle progresses. Ongoing costs include server maintenance and the salary of village-level workers. Initially, these costs are covered by the project, but the platform may eventually become self-sustaining through market linkages.