A call centre for farmers in Punjab

Abohar (Punjab), May 20 (ANI): In a first of its kind initiative in the country, a call centre named Zamidara Farmsolutions has started functioning in Punjab.

Located in the border district of Fazilka in Ferozepur district, the call centre offers latest updates to the farmers on agricultural techniques and developments.

Besides discussing their problems with the call centre executives, the farmers can also get expensive farming instruments on rent, which they otherwise cannot afford.

Vikram Ahuja, owner, who himself is a farmer said that he was aware of the problems faced by the farmers and tried to ease their problems by making the expensive machine available to them on 'Pay for use' basis.

"We have tried to make the expensive machinery available to the farmers on 'Pay for use' basis rather than 'pay for ownership'. In this the farmer has to pay for what he uses and nor for what he owns," said Ahuja.

Elaborating on the use of the call center, Khushal Chand a farmer from Begawali village who recently hired a machine for water leveling said it made more sense in hiring these machines rather than buying them.

"Main reasons for taking this machine on hire was that it is very expensive. It costs 6,285 dollars and it becomes very impractical for small farmers like us to shell out this kind of money for single use and after that this machine becomes a liability," said Chand.

Nearly two-thirds of India's billion-plus population depends on agriculture for a living and efforts such as these will really benefit the small farmers. By Avtar Singh Gill(ANI)