Paddy procurement process in Jashore goes digital

The government's decision to procure paddy during the Aman season this year from the farmers in selected upazilas across the country through a digital app, ‘Krishoker App’, for the first time has drawn a huge response from farmers in Jashore district.

Around 2,826 tonnes of paddy are expected to be collected directly from farmers in the district through this app.

The government will initially purchase paddy from 16 upazilas of eight divisions through the app on pilot basis.

It can be used easily on a smartphone by downloading it from the app store. Farmers have to register through the app providing their national identity numbers and phone numbers. In case of not having a mobile, farmers can go to the upazila digital centres and use the app there.

The app has been developed for the farmers so that they could sell their paddy directly to the government.

Md Liakat Ali, controller of the district office of the directorate general of Food, said the registration of farmers has already ended. After verifying all the applications, the district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) will prepare the final list.
“Then paddy will be purchased from the listed farmers,” he added.

Khalid Saifullah, sadar upazila agriculture officer, said around 6,500 farmers of the district applied through the app and half of them will be selected through lottery.

As the system is new, it was a big challenge to make farmers understand about the credibility, he said.

However, there was a huge response from the farmers as the department took some initiatives to make them aware about the app, Saifullah said.

“We held meetings with union parishad chairmen and members, and farmers of the district to inform them about the app. Union information centres were also given directives to this end. We took all the initiatives so that farmers can register through the app for selling their paddy,” he added.

Jahurul Islam, deputy assistant agriculture officer of Churamonkati union in Sadar upazila, hoped that real marginal farmers will be benefited from this new system.