Vikram said, "I think you give too much importance to computer and the Internet. I am a B.Sc. degree holder. My main subject was agriculture. I have been trained to live in harmony with the nature and harnessed natural resources. I don't know how to use computer and don't want to waste my time on learning how to use it."
"Most of us use LPG or electric stoves to cook food. There are some rare species that still prefer to use firewood even though they have means to buy LPG. They say the food cooked using firewood is tastier and healthier than the food cooked with LPG," I said.
Vikram closed his eyes for a few seconds and then said, "I get your point. You cannot change those people. My idea was wrong. New technologies are developed and new gadgets are invented to make human life easier, safer and more prosperous. We must embrace them as soon as they are available to us without any hesitation. But what can computer do to an agriculturist like me?"
"It can do wonders. Many aspects of agricultural activities can be automated and computerized. Computer can eliminate uncertainties associated with many decisions. It can streamline workflow, avoid delays, increase productivity and eliminate errors. You can do thousands of what-if calculations to decide on what to produce, and to maximize yields," I said.
"Most of our farmers are uneducated, poor and they don't believe in new technology. Their forefather's methods are precious to them," Vikram raised a valid point. I replied, "But you are educated, you have means to buy computer and just now changed your old attitude. You can work as a consultant, help them improve their profits and in the process you too can make good money."
"But, do you really believe I can make money by helping others?" he asked and I replied, "That is the one and only way to make money! Thirty years ago a government clerk resigned his job and decided to take up agriculture. He wanted to use the then modern tools and technology. He bought a few acres of 'uncultivable' dry land in South India for a song using all his savings. The people living in the nearby villages were living in poverty. Even though they owned agricultural lands, the yields were negligible. So, petty crimes became their profession. When he told them that they could earn more through honest means by introducing new technologies in cultivation, everyone laughed at him. However, one of the villagers agreed to follow his advice. In the following year, the villager earned enough to pay all his sundry debts, bought a few sovereigns of jewels for his wife and a new motor cycle. His prestige and status went through the roof. All the other villagers were naturally upset with their mate's growth and they too embraced modern methods. Within three years, the village became one of the most prosperous villages in South India. The prices of the agricultural land in that area have shot up to touch the sky. The clerk is a multimillionaire now. A nationalized bank then declared the village as the model village of the country. "
"That's inspiring. Where can I get information about agricultural software programs?" Vikram asked me. I replied, "That is really simple. Use Google search engine to search for 'agriculture software'. You will get details of hundreds of programs. Many of them may not be suitable for our country. But think hard and try to modify them. Contact wealthy farmers and tell them that you will introduce the system for free. If they find the system useful they can pay you. If one farmer finds it useful, all others will come to you on their own."
After a year Vikram sent me an email, "In the last twelve months, I have become almost an expert in agricultural software programs. One of the programs developed by a big American company attracted me so much that I worked on it for six months. If you give the properties of your soil and other relevant information such as climate and geographical coordinates, the program will tell you the names of the crops that will give you the maximum yield. As this program works only for American crops, I modified it to suit our crops. I met a few instrumentation software developers and explained the concept to them. Lucky me! One of the software developers was the son of a state minister. He has arranged a meeting with the department heads to study the proposal and make it a government sponsored program."
Think and you will discover hundreds of neglected areas that need computer applications.