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E- Farming: A Breakthrough for Farmers

Samer D.M, Subramaniya Raman M.K
SVCE, Sriperumbudur,
India – 602117

Abstract:- Today, mobile phones are used everywhere, and generation and dissemination, including at the farmer and
android is the primary operating system dominating the mobile community levels:
operating system market field with a market share of more Rural Knowledge Network Pilot Project for East Africa:
than 80% and most of the applications are free to download. This project encompasses market access networks in Kenya,
We are targeting the horticulture sector in which smartphones
can be used to provide the farmer with the details of all the
Tanzania and Uganda, with actors at national, district and
different types of crops that he can harvest and also the best local levels who keep a constant and effective
efficient way in which he can get the yield. All this information communication link (e.g. via e-mail, telephone, SMS, face-
will be provided in regional audio form also so that it will be to-face meetings, Internet) for information-sharing and
easy for farmers to understand. For example, it can be business-to-business learning. Initiated by FAO, the pilot
extremely useful for the farmers in India as he/she will get project ran from 2007 to 2010; its most well-established and
information in multiple languages within a few key presses. active offspring is Agri Net Uganda.38 Market Linkages
Even an illiterate person can use this app easily. Initiative Bridging Activity (Malawi):[1][5] This USAID-
funded project helped improve post-harvest handling,
1. INTRODUCTION developed a transparent trading environment and increased
Some problems are identified after completing incentive access to accurate market information for smallholder
study of this topic: farmers through a partnership with Esoko Networks and the
1. Various website provides Horticulture information Agricultural Commodity Exchange. Women groundnut
related to fruit, flowers, and vegetables. But all these data producer farmers were trained in ICT skills for sourcing
are in English Language and in Text form.[8] That is why market information via an Esoko SMS-based subscription
Indian farmers who are illiterate are not able to take service, and consequently were able to sell their produce at
advantage of these services. Even If that person wants to, he a fairer price, organize transport in more cost-effective ways
needs a laptop or other device which makes him/her and quintuple their earnings.39 Krishi FM (Nepal): A rural
dependent on someone. radio relies on farmer-generated market information to
2. IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) and Routers inform its listeners. Farmers who roam or sell at local
Marker Light (RML) are the agencies that are currently markets phone in to the local community radio to share
providing agriculture information via SMS and Call. But information on current market prices. SIM-Agri (Burkina
they take money for the usage of their services and don’t Faso): IICD and its partners launched SIM-Agri, a platform
work where mobile network is not available. This giving 3 000 farmers access to vital market information via
application also gives additional features like Government mobile phones and computers. Market price collectors
Notifications, Bank notifications etc. around the country gather information at various farmers
3.Nidhi Dwivedy has proposed that: markets and then send information about prices and products
Decision Support Systems are more important and usually at those markets to the SIM-Agri platform.[9] For the price
avoids risk developing environments. It has been suggested of a regular text message, the farmers can ascertain the prices
that the WTO is stipulating reductions for export subsidies of their crops in various markets and learn when and where
on farm products and will make Indian exports more they can earn the best price for their produce.
competitive. It has been estimated that the export potential
may increase up to $ 1.5 billion by 2020. The advantage of
the emerging order, is that the Indian farmer needs to be
equipped with information that have been facilitated by
undertaking a proper[2] SWOT analysis and its comparison
may led to conventional wisdom and satisfy himself on an
appropriate course of action. The Available information
does not satisfy which projects on the weaknesses of the
adverse effect of WTO on any specific agricultural product
will help in taking the necessary corrective measures. In the
present scenario, the competitive advantage is necessarily
required to be fully exploited for increasing the export Figure 1
potential.
4.Market and price information
The following are examples of initiatives to improve food
production and security by improving market linkages and
access to local and international markets for smallholder
farmers’ products. They rely on several levels of information

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Vol. 9 Issue 07, July-2020

Implementation Stage:
After the development of the individual modules of the
project we looked in to the implementation of each of the
module and defined the relation between them, this was
achieved by the use of flow charts which described the
functions of each of the modules used in the project.[3][4]

Cloud Implementation:
Working of the Google App Engine. The implementation
scheme of the project was categorized as per the
configuration of the google app engine.
Figure 2
Customer Registration:
The Customer Registration process involves that the
Stage wise Implementation:
customer enter his personal details and one or more required
Our project was divided into different stages or can say
fields those are then validated by the application and the
modules, these modules helped to decide the actual flow of
success or failure of registration is decided if the registration
the application and implementation of the project was
process fails then the customer has to register again of course
achieved smoothly with the modular approach.[5][7] The
with the genuine details required for the registration process.
modular Approach was achieved with the help of the class
diagram scheme.
Farmer Registration:
The Farmer registration process is similar to the Customer
registration process the customer also has to fill genuine
details in order to successfully perform the transaction
process of the farming process.

E-Farming Process Implementation:

This is the most important phase of the project development
this phase provides the implementation of the farming
process it provides details on how the farming process will
be carried out efficiently.

Figure 3
Angular platform:
Angular has proved to be a magnificent framework in recent
times. Its simplicity, developer-friendliness, and ability to
build awesome projects have attracted many freshers as well
as experienced developers to learn Angular.
Angular is a cross platform language. It supports multiple
platforms. You can build different types of apps by using
Angular.
1.: Angular facilitates you to create desktop installed apps
on different types of operating systems i.e. Windows, Mac
or Linux by using the same Angular methods which we use
for creating web and native apps.
2. You can build native apps by using Angular with
strategies from Cordova, Ionic, or Native Script.
3. Progressive web applications are the most common apps
which are built with Angular. Angular provides modern web
platform capabilities to deliver high performance, offline,
Figure 3
and zero-step installation apps.

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Vol. 9 Issue 07, July-2020

Efficient Performance: presentation characteristics, enable multiple web pages to

Angular is amazingly fast and provides a great performance share formatting by specifying the relevant CSS in a separate
due to the following reasons: .css file, and reduce complexity and repetition in the
1.Universal support: Angular can be used as a front-end web structural content.
development tool for the programming languages like
Node.js, .Net, PHP, Java Struts and Spring and other servers 2. CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES
for near-instant rendering in just HTML and CSS. It also
optimizes the website for better SEO.[9][3] While substantial progress has been made in making ICTs
2.Code splitting: Angular apps are fast and loads quickly available and accessible for rural communities, challenges
with the new Component Router, which delivers automatic remain in respect to the following eight critical factors for
code-splitting so users only load code required to render the success:
view they request. 1. Content: Adaptation of content to local needs, languages
3.Code generation: Angular makes your templates in highly and contexts remains challenging. Appropriate information
optimized code for today’s JavaScript virtual machines resources (i.e. content) and trusted intermediaries are
which gives the benefits of hand-written code. necessary for the success of e-agriculture initiatives.
Dissemination of information may be constrained if the
Visual Studio: nature of information does not match farmers’ needs in terms
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development of format and relevance.[5] While ICTs can deliver large
environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to amounts of information, this does not imply effective use of
develop computer programs, as well as websites, web it. Locally adapted content and existing relationships based
apps, web services and mobile apps. Visual Studio uses on trust are not yet given sufficient attention and priority in
Microsoft software development platforms such development plans. Bringing ICTs and development
as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation planning closer together, with information innovations
Foundation, Windows Store and Microsoft Silverlight. It coming directly from the rural communities themselves,
can produce both native code and managed code. remains an often-overlooked design consideration in
Visual Studio includes a code meeting the demands of the poorest communities.
editor supporting IntelliSense (the code 2. Capacity development. This is comprised of three
completion component) as well as code refactoring. The dimensions: the enabling environment, the organizational
integrated debugger works both as a source-level debugger capacity and individual’s capacity. Capacities at the
and a machine-level debugger. Other built-in tools include individual, organizational and institutional levels need to be
a code profiler, forms designer for strengthened.[7] The focus on improving access to
building GUI applications, web designer, class designer, agricultural information without addressing the ability to
and database schema designer. It accepts plug-ins that effectively use the information has not yet yielded the
enhance the functionality at almost every level—including desired reduction of the rural digital divide. Illiteracy,
adding support for source control systems limited skills in using complex devices to search for
(like Subversion and Git) and adding new toolsets like information and cultural issues remain barriers to effectively
editors and visual designers for domain-specific receiving and using information delivered via ICTs. Models
languages or toolsets for other aspects of the software of capacity development need to be based on social
development lifecycle (like the Team Foundation characteristics, information needs and the function of
Server client: Team Explorer). technology in context. Scaling up pilot ICT projects to reach
SQL: Structured Query Language) is a domain-specific millions of smallholder farmers remains a challenge. Up-
language used in programming and designed for managing scaling and mainstreaming of projects is often not
data held in a relational database management sufficiently supported by dialogues at organizational and
system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational national levels which could create a policy environment
data stream management system (RDSMS). It is particularly conducive to the effective use of ICTs in agriculture. The
useful in handling structured data where there are relations price of access to ICTs can be extremely high in some
between different entities/variables of the data. SQL offers countries.[5] Pricing of broadband or mobile services is an
two main advantages over older important barrier for most vulnerable groups, such as
read/write APIs like ISAM or VSAM. First, it introduced women, youth, older farmers, and people living in most
the concept of accessing many records with one single remote areas Gender and diversity. Access and opportunities
command; and second, it eliminates the need to are not distributed equitably among users, creating
specify how to reach a record, e.g. with or without an index. asymmetries that must be addressed with specific policies
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used targeting the source of the inequalities. Access for women,
for describing the presentation of a document written in youth, older farmers, and people living in the most remote
a markup language like HTML. CSS is a cornerstone areas is hindered by the price of access to ICTs (e.g.
technology of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML broadband or mobile services) and by persistent inequalities.
and JavaScript.CSS is designed to enable the separation of Gender inequalities remain a serious issue in the digital
presentation and content, including layout, colors, economy, as does the gap between urban and rural
and fonts. This separation can improve content accessibility, populations. The digital divide is not only concerned with
provide more flexibility and control in the specification of technological infrastructure and connectivity; it is a

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Vol. 9 Issue 07, July-2020

multifaceted problem of ineffective knowledge exchange sustainability can be hindered if clear roles and
and management of information content; insufficient human responsibilities have not been clarified among stakeholders.
resources and institutional capacity; and lack of sensitivity For example, the location of an ICT center should be socially
to gender and the diverse needs of different groups.[8][5] convenient for all users (including women and older people).
For example, illiterate and older farmers often have less- Finally, technology waste is an issue and a polluting factor
developed digital skills, and so they are usually less likely to that should not be underestimated.[15] Measurements and
adopt ICTs.Many of the factors that constrain male farmers data on the impact of mobile technologies on agriculture are
in adopting more sustainable and productive practices scant and generally anecdotal. Solid information is needed
restrict women even more. Specific gender barriers further regarding the impact of previous initiatives, including
limit women farmers’ capacity to innovate and become more lessons learned, to inform the design and approach of future
productive. Youth’s access and familiarity with efforts. At the same time, these impacts are inherently
technologies, as well as their role in the social dynamics of difficult to measure because they may not be immediate or
rural communities, are not yet sufficiently leveraged. may not be reported or recorded.[16] Often, success of ICT
4. Access and participation. Access to ICTs is not yet interventions in agriculture is on a case-by-case basis.
equitable. As mentioned before, a gender-based digital Sustainability of ICTs for agriculture initiatives may be at
divide persists, and is more frequent in rural than urban risk if development organizations, governments and the
areas.[3][2] The digital divide between men and women is private sector fail in defining indicators and data that
increasing, despite the growing number of Internet users. validate investments in ICTs and the positive results these
Improved access to ICTs alone will not resolve the gender may have.
digital divide. As with the challenges reported in other key
areas, proper design and implementation based on a bottom- 3. RESULTS
up and participatory approach that involves the communities
themselves can reduce the potential for information inequity The occupational structure of India is dominated by the
that can be created when introducing new ICTs into a “agricultural sector” and the “manufacturing sector” and the
community. “service sector” is lagging far behind in this context. This
5. Partnerships. Public-private partnerships are recognized shows that India is predominantly an agricultural economy
as a critical factor in sustainable business models at the and hence it requires strongest protection and development
community level, but these do not always have to be with of its “agricultural resources”. India is facing certain
large corporate firms; small, local private companies, local “Agricultural Challenges” that must be resolved as soon as
producer organizations and community-based NGOs often possible. The major challenges to “Agriculture Sector in
have the social capital to provide trusted information and India” are: (a) Insufficient agricultural infrastructure and
good quality services. Diverse advisory and extension support facilities, (b) Insufficient institutional capacity to
services offered by different types of providers are more deliver farmers specific services, (c) Lack of awareness
likely to meet the various needs of farmers, as there is no one regarding suitable agricultural methods among the farmers,
type of advisory service that can fit all circumstances.[4] (d) Agricultural content development and its upgradations,
With a broader variety of potential partners comes a new (e) Ownership issues of the public and government
challenge: the formal recognition of information and service generated data, (g) Inadequate use of Public-Private
quality standards, and the partners’ agreement to be held Partnerships in India, (h) Lack of “Common Platforms” for
accountable for meeting them. the farmers in India, (i) Absence of an “Agricultural Think-
6. Technologies. Identifying the right mix of technologies Tank” in India, (j) Insufficient use of ICT for agricultural
that are suitable to local needs and contexts is often a purposes, etc. The Government of India must come up with
challenge, despite – or because of – the rapid increase in “Suitable Policies” and “Incentives” for the farmers so that
mobile telephone penetration in rural areas. While this offers they may be motivated and encouraged to give their best.
great potential for increasing access to information, This must be supported by the use of ICT that can-do
challenges remain in the area of effective use of mobile wonders for the agriculture sector of India. ICT can be used
telephony that are related to access and capacity as described to improve the lives of the rural communities by leveraging
above Technologies should be suited to local contexts and of agriculture outputs through technological interventions.
needs, and their selection should increasingly take into Some of the benefits of ICT for the improvement and
account the influence ICTs have on gender and social strengthening of agriculture sector in India are: (a) Timely
dynamics. The appropriation of ICTs by youth in support of information on weather forecasts and calamities, (b) Better
farming activities is also creating shifts in the social and spontaneous agricultural practices, (c) Better marketing
dynamics between youth and older community members, or exposure and pricing, (d) Reduction of agricultural risks and
between rural and urban/peri-urban communities.[11] enhanced incomes, (e) Better awareness and information, (f)
7. Economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Improved networking and communication, (g) Facility of
Scaling up pilot ICT projects to reach millions of online trading and e-commerce, 3 (h) Better representation
smallholder farmers and identifying sustainable business at various forums, authorities and platform, etc. There is a
models are still challenges. On the one hand, pricing is “Digital Divide” that is hindering the capacity and
critical to sustainable agribusiness models at the community productivity of rural agricultural activities carried out by the
level. Investments are needed to cover the cost of creating marginalized farmers in India. The situation of marginalized
content and collecting data. On the other hand, social farmers of rural India can improve if we pay attention

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