Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing of Ambuja Cements Ltd. ACF works with rural communities surrounding Ambuja’s manufacturing sites. The Foundation is engaged in a variety of people-centric, integrated rural development projects.
ACF runs a Krishi Vigyan Kendra (“Farmer Knowledge Center”) in the Kodinar taluka (block) of Gujarat’s Junagadh district. KVKs are set in rural districts around India by the Central Government’s Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The goal of KVKs are to bridge the gap between university agricultural research and rural communities. The KVK in Kodinar is overseen by ACF, the Government of Gujarat, and Junagadh Agricultural University. Experts from various disciplines of agriculture work at the center to provide multi-disciplinary services to farmers from seven blocks covering 45 villages.
ACF’s KVK team initiated a mobile agro advisory service called “Krishi Mobile” using Awaaz De’s platform. KVK’s agricultural experts will be sending relevant and timely agricultural information covering topics like plant protection, agriculture extension, agronomy, horticulture and animal husbandry enabling farmers to access this info over the phone. Farmers can also dial in and ask their own questions that will be answered by scientists or experts working with Krishi Vigyan Kendras. Using Awaaz.De’s routing facility, farmers will be able to get personalized advice from an expert, right to their phone.
Krishi Mobile has seen decent usage from the day it was launched (roughly 20 calls a day). What is most promising is the level of organization and commitment on the part of ACF’s team to provide timely information to the farmers of the area.
We wish ACF and the farmers in Kodinar all the best as they connect through the power of mobiles and voice.
