Apart from receiving inbound calls, the call centre will reach out to farmers to inform them about use of PPEs and changing market conditions during lock down. 

Agri-input maker Syngenta India has launched a nationwide helpline to address farmers’ concerns during the Covid-19 lockdown. Farmers can dial the toll-free Syngenta Kisan helpline number 1800-1-215-315 to seek free crop advisory and other farm activity related information, the company said in a release.

Syngenta’s team of experts will answer questions, provide guidance, and help farmers address specific agriculture challenges.

The Syngenta Kisan helpline, operational  between 9.30 am and 5.30 pm from Monday to Saturday, has a total of  16 channels that have been created to address calls in nine different languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Odia and Bengali.

“At a time when the farmers are approaching harvest and preparing for the kharif season, it is paramount that proper advisories are given to the farmers and we thought it best to give the farmers a platform to raise their concerns. The dedicated lines will help address many critical issues as well as in providing important information during the lockdown period and beyond,” said Rafel Del Rio, Managing Director of Syngenta India, in a statement.

Apart from receiving inbound calls, the call centre will reach out to farmers to inform them about maintaining social distancing, use of PPEs and other precautionary measures related to Covid-19. 

K C Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India, said, “Farmers usually face a diverse set of issues from unpredictable weather, pest infestations, plant diseases or changing market conditions and during a pandemic like Covid-19, timely and credible information is imperative to avoid panic that can aggravate disruptions. By establishing this national helpline, we intend to ensure that a channel is available to farmers to raise and clarify their agriculture and farming issues.”