Cropfit, a mobile app developed by Talavadi farmers for increased market access and a fair price for their produce, was released on May 25 in Talavadi. The application was released by senior farmers leaders Yudhvir Singh, Sellamuthu, CK Janu, Honnur Prakash, and Parliamentarian A Raja. Farmers leaders from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala attended the event.
The Talavadi Farmers’ Association has developed this user-friendly mobile application, which supports different languages, to help farmers connect with different markets and get the best rates for their produce such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, spices, and grains. Farmers must list their produce, including available quantity, price, grade, and location, so that traders can access it and quote a price. “By listing quality products, farmers can compete in both the domestic and global market,” explained S. Kannaiyan, spokesman of Thalavadi Farmers Association and Aswini, the co-founder of Cropfit India application.
Farmers can also access various features of the app, including details of other markets, price and demand for products. “Since they are well informed about the market conditions, they can make decisions on selling at the right price at the right time,” noted Kannaiyan.
While other apps mainly focus on the traders and how they can benefit them and the mandis, the prime focus of Cropfit – an app of the farmers, for the farmers, by the farmers – is on the farmers and their benefits because the app has been developed by farmers. It will have an algorithm such that no bidders can bid below MSP. This app will ensure that farmers do not find themselves at the receiving end when they sell their crops. Its algorithm will be such that no bidder can bid below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The app will be improvised and upgraded over the days as per the needs, said Aswini.
Kanniayan and Aswini highlighted that :
“This mobile app is about linking the farmers and the traders and creating a very healthy ecosystem. The farmers are the stakeholders.” “There are a lot of applications. But other apps mainly focus on the traders and how they can benefit the traders, mandis, etc. We are mainly focusing on the farmers and the benefits of the farmers because the app is being developed by farmers.”
The farmers are not always sellers; they are also buyers. We promote one farmer buying from another. Besides, crops, cereals and livestock are all there in one app. “This app will have bidding also. That is a unique feature. And the bidding will start from the MSP.” “The algorithm works in such a way that none of the bidders can bid below the MSP.”
Transparency is another plus point of this app. “We would like to add features in the future to keep records of the transactions by the farmers. At present, the farmers do not get any sort of billing vouchers properly. In many places, trading is done without any records as it is not taxable.” There will be another kind of transparency, too. At present, “who is having what is not known to the next door. Even the farmers do not know what their co-farmers are producing. As a result, middlemen come in and the costs go higher. This app will address that gap.” Besides, it will be possible to transact with the banks through the Cropfit app. The payments will be done online through a payment gateway.
For more updates on the app please follow Cropfit India