International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has launched a customised low-cost combination of phone and tablet computer called ‘GreenPHABLET powered by the GreenSIM’.
This device aims to empower small farmers who own small plots of land by providing them with precise information related to agriculture and help them purchase inputs at lower prices, get a better price for their produce and link them to markets.
Key facts of ICRISAT’s GreenPHABLET
- It has been developed by the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence in ICT Innovations for Agriculture in collaboration with NUNC Systems, a company based in Hyderabad.
- This device acts like a mobile village knowledge centre/common service centre, enabling farmers to benefit from contemporary information and communication technologies by penetrating Internet connectivity in remote rural region
- It will provide farmers with free messages about the weather and pest problems while sharing the most competitive agricultural input and crop prices.
It should be noted that GreenSIM was created under a unique partnership between ICRISAT, mobile phone service provider Airtel, and the IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative) Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL).
The GreenSIM had received the prestigious Flame Award 2013 from the Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI). It was also cited for ‘showcasing innovative use of technology of the decade’.
About International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT)
ICRISAT is a non-profit agricultural research organization headquartered in Patancheru in Hyderabad, Telangana.
It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organizations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller Foundations. Its charter was signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It has several regional centres around globe- Niamey (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya) and research stations Bamako (Mali), Bulawayo (Zimbabwe).
Since its inception, India has granted special status to ICRISAT as a UN Organization operating in the Indian Territory making it eligible for special immunities and tax privileges.