Surinder Sud: Farming tips? Ask for your postman

IARI's 'postal agri-extension' drive could be a game-changer for farmers and the postal dept

Can you imagine village postmen doubling up as agricultural extension workers to deliver new seeds and technical know-how to farmers? This may sound odd but it is true. An innovative mode of farm extension through postal staff is being tried out successfully in several states by the New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). Under this system, seed packets of new crop varieties, along with the recommended agronomic practices for their cultivation, are sent to farmers through post. To back it up, postal personnel, trained by IARI, interact with farmers on technical issues. The system has proved useful in reaching farmers in remote areas, which are rarely visited by extension workers of the state agriculture departments. It saves time as well as the cost involved in farm technology transfer.

The idea of “postal agri-extension” stemmed from the observation that most rural branches of post offices are manned by local people who are also farmers by tradition. These personnel, who visit the villages regularly to deliver mail, get ample opportunities to interact with farmers on agriculture-related issues. Specially designed training programmes equip them with the expertise to solve technical problems faced by local cultivators. In contrast, state extension workers are usually unable to regularly contact farmers in all the villages because of logistics problems and overwork. Besides, their technical knowledge is often dated.

India’s postal network, on the other hand, is the world’s largest with over 1,55,000 main and branch post offices. About 90 per cent of these branches (nearly 1,39,000) are in rural areas. With a sharp fall of nearly 50 per cent in postal mail, as a result of ever-expanding access to mobile phones and internet-based communication, the postal department is looking for avenues to diversify its activities. It has already ventured into fields such as banking, insurance, pensions and so on. Agricultural extension can safely be added to this list. The farmers visiting post offices for any of these services can conveniently get tips on farm technology from the postal staff. IARI offers one free packet of quality seeds to every postmaster for sowing on his personal land. Their fields, in turn, serve as technology demonstration for neighbouring farmers.

IARI’s initiative of postal seed distribution-cum-extension service began in 2009 (rabi season) from seven rural branch offices in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. It was subsequently extended to selected areas in Bihar (Buxar), Madhya Pradesh (Sheopur), Rajasthan (Sirohi) and Jammu & Kashmir. Encouraging outcomes in all these areas have spurred IARI to expand this initiative further to cover several other districts in 14 states. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) – agricultural science centres – located in these areas are roped in as collaborators of IARI in running this programme. They select crop varieties and technologies suited for the region to be passed on to the farmers. They also multiply the seeds of IARI varieties for distribution through post offices.

As a result of this programme, yields of cereals, oilseeds and vegetables have spurted by 10 to 30 per cent in the coverage areas. Over 70 per cent farmers have expressed satisfaction over the involvement of postal staff in disseminating seeds and technology. This has, notably, helped reduce the time lag between development and actual field application of new farm technologies. Seeds sent through post generally reach the farmers within four to six days in 90 per cent cases.

Interestingly, the replacement of traditional rice varieties with IARI’s high-yielding strains of scented rice (similar to basmati rice) has changed the eating habits of local people, besides diversifying cropping pattern and varietal mix. Many people, especially the youth, have developed a preference for aromatic rice over traditional small-grained non-flavoured rice. More importantly, it has uplifted the social status of farmers who have adopted new varieties since they now bag larger harvests and earn higher income.

IARI extension specialists involved in promoting this service feel that postmasters need more sops, in addition to free seed samples, as an incentive to produce better results. They also suggest that the postal department should allow sending seeds through “express parcel post” under the book-now-pay-later scheme at a concessional (preferably half) rate. These are well-intended suggestions that merit favourable consideration.

surinder.sud@gmail.com