Farmers make time for social media to network, share and solve
The Hindu
‘From knowing about different PVC pipes to discovering innovative farming methods, it is all easy through social media’
It’s been a month since ‘BN FandPatil’ got on Clubhouse, the social audio app. He sits by a window at 7 p.m. for a live conversation on the Indian Farmer’s Club voice chat room, catching up with fellow farmers Shivaji Awate, Samadhan Bagul, Vijay Jaibhave and Balasaheb Gavli Barshi on agricultural practices, weather, marketing and crop management. Social media is not new to him — he also uses Facebook and Instagram to network. “Social media se bahut benefit hua hai (social media has been of great benefit),” he says, adding that his Facebook post on farming beans 10 years ago received many comments, opening a window of opportunities. “I learnt natural activation techniques of soil and the importance of weather,” recalls the 36-year-old farmer.The Shakti Scheme in Karnataka has completed its first year, yet the smart cards intended for the beneficiaries remain undistributed. According to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, while the smart cards have been prepared, their issuance has been stalled due to the absence of electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) in all buses, making them impractical.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok were engaged in war of words over the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday, with the former calling the latter “ignorant and entertaining people”. In response, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister “sometimes wakes up from deep slumber to exhibit his arrogance and anger”.
Makineni Jishnu Sai from Guntur secured the first position in the engineering stream while Yellu Srishant Reddy from Nizampet in Telangana bagged the first place in the Agriculture and Pharmacy (Bi.P.C. stream) in the Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (EAPCET)-2024.