Meghalaya: Toll-free helpline number for farmers

The farmers of the firming based state Meghalaya, that mostly relies on agriculture and farming for their livelihood. The Meghalaya farmers are, however, found busy dialling the four digits 1917 most of the times. The Meghalaya farmers, that consists of approximately 15,000, since December 2017, are constantly in touch with a customer care based in Shillong’s Laitumkhrah area comprised and controlled by 20 operators who are exceptionally well-versed with the agricultural do's and dont's.

This batch of operators who can also be termed as the “agriculture specialists” remains available on call from 10 am to 5 pm throughout six days a week, i.e., Mondays to Saturdays who are anytime and everytime willing and ready to answer the queries of the farmers. However, apart from the farmers, the operators are ready to offer assistance to the buyers as well who needs special advice in buying agricultural equipment and anything else.

One of the Meghalaya farmers, named Ninestar Shadap, who lives in Palwi village of Ri Bhoi district, is a ginger and paddy farmer. Speaking about the usefulness of the agricultural assistance services, he says, “For the first time in my life, I am directly speaking to customers outside of my little village.”

Shadap is just one among the 15,064 farmers who are registered under the Meghalaya government’s 1917 iTeams (Integrated Technology Enabled Agriculture Management System). This agriculture management system was launched in December 2017 which was done with the primary objective to “connect farmers to markets”.

Speaking about the customer care service, the brain behind the initiative, Sampath Kumar, says “This is like eBay or Amazon for farmers. Like the UP100 (for state-wide safety in Uttar Pradesh) or 108 (for medical emergencies). Farmers, often located in the remote areas, require similar kind of assistance.” Kumar, who is an official in the state’s Agriculture Department, compares the functioning of the 1917 model to that of popular e-commerce platforms.