The app gives info on cashew grafts, nursery, cultivation, plant protection, post-harvest processing, market information, e-market, and stakeholders
The Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR) at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka has developed the ‘Cashew India’ app for farmers and other stakeholders of cashew in India. Available in 11 languages, the app can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
Mohana GS, Senior Scientist at DCR, who conceptualised and designed this app, said that ‘Cashew India’ app gives comprehensive information on cashew grafts, nursery, cultivation, plant protection, post-harvest processing, market information, e-market, and stakeholders such as farmers, researchers, developmental agencies and processors at one place.
He said a farmer or user of the app can upload and store images related to cashew and videos in ‘My Cashew’ sub-section under the ‘Cultivation’ section. It is also possible to record the expenditure, observations and data of the cashew farm in that. Real-time chatting is available for users under the ‘Chat Room’ section. Users can use e-speak button provided throughout the app. This button enables the app to read text for users in different sections.
He said it is possible to order for grafts online in ‘Planting Material’ section from the research stations in a state. The user can give his/her buy/sell requirements in ‘Market Info’ section. Experts can be contacted through ‘Ask Expert’ section, he said.
Multilingual app
Stating that the app is developed for States such as Gujarat, Maharastra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Meghalaya, Mohana said this might be the highest number of States covered in an app.The app is available in 11 languages such as Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Bengali and Garo.
Technical Information for the app is provided by the scientists of DCR and scientists from centres of All-India Coordinated Research Project on Cashew in the country.
The financial support is provided by the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, through the Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development, Kochi, he added.
