1. Creating globally scalable and sustainable social businesses
Targeting massive socio-economic transformation at the Base of the Pyramid
Through effective use of ICT
Farmers eKutireAgro is an initiative jointly conceptualized and executed by
eKutir and Grameen-Intel Social Business

2. Challengesfor Farmer
Fragmented and subsistence existence
Main asset-Land: quality, nutrient status, capacity to grow right crop & mkt? Unknown!
Right quality guaranteed seed & nutrients

Access to best agro cultivation practices

Risk mitigation: finance, pests, diseases, climate
Labour shortage vs unviable mechanization
Access to market info and transacting at terms suitable to him
Post harvest logistics of Storage, Processing & Transport
Lots of pockets of knowledgebut no integrated way of putting this to action
ie. Actionable knowledge from the farmers perspective: not from that of the Agrouniv., or the supplier, or the middle-man or the money lender
Farmers need: This knowledge access should be cost-effective, reliable, convenient, meet his specific need, be available at his village & sustainable
3. Who we are?
eKutir is a Rural Management Services Company with a focus on evolving an appropriate knowledge management system in rural areas.
eKutir is a Rural Social Enterprise that is creating globally scalable and sustainable social businesses that target massive socio-economic transformations through effective use of ICT.
eKutirs focus is to create rural growth engines for sustainable livelihoods and commerce especially in areas like agriculture and village crafts, which constitute the bulk of vocations.
Head-quartered in Bhubaneswar, Orissa., eKutir has branch offices & experiment stations in Bangalore and Chennai, and rural extension service centres in 10 locations spread out in 3 districts of Orissa.
Farmers eKutireAgro is an initiative jointly conceptualized and executed by
eKutir and Grameen-Intel Social Business
4. Farmers eKutir: What we do?
ENTREPRENEUR
FARMER
Farmer discusses problems, needs, land status, income & expense details with the Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur enters static and dynamic data into eAgro system
Genuine Seed Supplier
Genuine Seed Supplier
FARMER
Genuine Fertilizer Supplier
eKutir routes request to relevant group
Genuine Pesticide Supplier
Agriculture Advisors
Micro Financer (Credit, Ins.)
Machinery
Labour
5. How IT is helping the Farmer in our different IT interventions
Income
Productivity
sustainability
6. productivity
Information on available inputs/buying on line from the company
Risk reducing inputs
Cost/benefit
Access to the experts on line
Nutrient management
yield
Crop damage
Timely on line advisory from experts
IPM
Pest management
Irrigation demand
Weekly weather report from the web
Weatherinformation
information
Proper risk averted decision making
7. income
Opportunity for Better realization
Market information live
Market price information
Web based information
Supply demand information
Spreading sells
Better realization
Participation in the Commodity trading
Online participation
8. How Grameen-Intel-eKutir Initiatives help
Farmer Profile
Intervention
Then
Now
I can keep and record my activitiesthrough ehub
I do not know /no record what I am doing
No objective record keeping for my decision
Ithelps me in proper decision making thereby reducing my risk
No heresay but decision objectively
Result
Proper Record keeping is possible through IT which is the first step towards reducing risk at the farmer level
9. SOIL TESTING &Nutrientmanagement through IT
Intervention -II
Now
Then
I am doing my soil testing and getting the report and general recommendation instantly
I know that soil testing is important but I have not done as there is no facility
It takes long time to test and no advisory given
I am getting crop specific nutrient use advisory
I do not get crop specific advisory continuously
I am getting the quantity & cost of nutrient instantly
My crop productivity is not taking place but I can not help it
Soil health is maintained & productivity ensured
10. Agri clinic & Agri advisory
Intervention-III
Now
Then
I do not get any advise from any experts on any problems at the time of growing of crops
I get all clinical advisory instantly can save my crops
Unnecessary cost avoiding for proper advisory
My crop gets damaged because of diseases/pesticides attack
Receiving right advisory at the right time instantly
Desperation application destroys my crop
No information on anything related to crop like seed/fert/credit/fm/insurance/market etc
11. Entrepreneurship IT model
Intervention-IV
SF
seed
SF
SF
SF
SF
SF
fertilizer
SF
e hub
SF
Service providers
agriclinic
SF
SF
SF
Agri exp
erts
SF
SF
SF
credit
SF
SF
SF
SF
market
Aggregating needs
SF
SF
12. Soil Testing & Nutrient Management Processes
Agronomy
Exp-1
Soil Exp
Exp-2
E Agro Hub
Bio Adv
Exp-3
Chemical Adv
Exp-4
Fert Distributors
Fert Distributors
Fert Distributors
13. Financial Impact
Financial Impact of eKutir's Intervention on a Vegetable Farmer
Production increased by 15%Sales increased by 122%Net Cash Flow increased by 203%!!
105% increase in Seed Cost due to guaranteed quality seed at higher price resulting in better germination rate and better yield
17% reduction in Fertilizer Cost due to the advantage of lower eKutir bulk rate with the benefit passed onto farmer
71% reduction in Labour Cost due to minimal labour used mainly for general upkeep, not for pests/diseases (better disease and pest resistant seeds and appropriate use of fertilizer and pesticides in right quantity)
29% reduction in Pesticide Cost due to minimal expense towards pesticides
Advice on changed crop pattern & best seed type; type of fertilizer, the amount and procedure of application, and general advice on crop maintenance
Informed Farmer increased his costs by 41%
14. ICT Helping the Small Farmer Improve his Income thru Better Inputs and Practices
Charana Sasmal is a subsistence farmer growing vegetables on his 3 acre holding in Dihagaon, Orissa about 180 km from the capital city. His income is barely enough to support his family of 6, and keeps him continually in a spiraling debt. The low quality and high cost of inputs (seeds, fertilizer, pesticides) and lack of knowledge of their application, puts Charanas whole operation andfamily livelihood at risk. He is even contemplating desparate alternatives including quitting farming and finding some employment in the city, but doesnt know the perils of that!
Through the ekutir & Grameen-Intel eAgro farmer livelihoods improvement initiative, Charana was able to get the best quality seeds directly from the seeds major, with a 80% germination guarantee as opposed to < 20% earlier, along with access to bestcultivation practices (land preparation, irrigation, right qty/type of nutrient & pest/disease mitigants) at his village itself. Though he paid a higher cost for this seed (Rs 9225 vs Rs 4500), the higher quality of hardened seed & better practices ensured reduced expenses on fertilizers, pesticides, labour (with better systems in place), while increasing his sales by 122%, and net income by over 420%. As a result, he was able to generate a surplus of Rs 15,665 (vs Rs 3,700 earlier), thru which he repaid his debt, and the rest used for his families well-being (better food, medicine, clothes, bicycle) & for providing the seed finance (Rs 2300) for the next crop- thereby, removing him once-and-for-all from the dependency on the unscrupulous money lender.He is now confident enough to seek more land to expand his farm size &augment his income further!
15. Impact of e-Agro Project on various stakeholders
Farmers Community
Entrepreneurs
Farmers
Input Supplier
Other StakeHolders (experts, markets, processing..)
October 27, 2010
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16. Impact on the Farmers Community
ICTas a magnet in pooling Farmers together.
Gradual Realization that ICT can play a role for service delivery and instant information reach.
Better productivity and risk management
Forming FIG and attending the meeting
Participatory & democratic
Bringing together the community & info sharing
Aggregation possibilities and advantages
Deciding the cost of services/Registration fees.
Talking about their needs & planning / prioritizing the requirement.
e-Hub as an epicenter of all Farmers activities.
A sense of ownership & participation 1st indicator of sustainability
Planned approach to improve the livelihood prospects & community life
October 27, 2010
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17. Impact on Entrepreneurs
An opportunity for the local unemployed youth to be engaged.
A realization that a space in the rural area is available to do business with a difference.
Gradual awareness amongst the local unemployed to take up this work.
Demand from other places to establish.
Own involvement financially for the project(Financially).

Localized Entrepreneurial capacity, livelihood & employment generated with savings augmented

18. Potential for more income streams, 19. Migration arrested > related social disaster avertedOctober 27, 2010
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20. Impact on Farmers (Registered)
Individualized Portfolio management planned approach
Right information to get right decision.
Availability of good quality seeds/ at the right time and at a right price.
Demand for availing inputs (seeds) increased from May to September.
ICT intervention has increased their Productivity and Income.
Getting better advisory.
Increasing queriesand different kind of queries.
Assess current crop varieties , and use as basis to recommend appropriate ways to get better crop varieties / rotation / yields.
Exotic vegetable farmers club has been formed dealing in higher margin crops.
Ability to detect and mitigate disasters of diseases and pests (next slide)
Aggregation of needs (eg. lower costs of inputs, mechvslabour)
Farm Mechanization increased their margin.
Farmerable to concentrate on his core competence, leaving the hassles to be overcome (at a reduced cost) by experts andthereby generate increased income, decreased dependence on exp credit, higher risk taking capacity
October 27, 2010
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21. Impact on the input supplier (Seed)
Connecting the producer to the consumer: Transparency in seed supply.
No middleman involved. Spurious seeds avoided.
Better yield potentially
Credibility of the company improved.
Direct feedback from the farmers acts as a critical input for marketing strategy.
Totally involved in e-Agro project sensitizing the farmers and entrepreneurto best practices
A major achievement: as this itself can address issues of food scarcity/security
October 27, 2010
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22. Details of Seed Companies doing business with eKutir
Seminies
Bioseed
Nunhems
Nodel Agrotech
Indian Seeds
Contact list
October 27, 2010
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23. Highlights of the Study undertaken by KSRM (KIIT School of Rural Management)
ICT plays an important role for the farmer.
FIG is the right way for ensuring participation of the farmer.
Entrepreneur is the critical link.
Farmers are benefitted because of good quality of seeds and advisory.
Market information and weather information helps the farmer in decision making.
Scaling up of the e-Agro activities in other areas.
October 27, 2010
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24. Reaction from other Stakeholders
NABARD- wants to enlarge/replicate.
Suggesting integration with Micro Credit and Water Management
Interested in taking biz to Farmers Club Programme (>2000 in Orissa, >60k in India)
OUAT- Very enthusiastic=>LAB to LAND in reality
State Govt.-Keen to participate in the project
Input Supplier- Excited about the project wants to join and take it forward
Interest from stakeholders to replicate in other states
October 27, 2010
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25. THANK YOU
kcmishra40@gmail.com
srinivasbgarudachar@gmail.com