The absence of a market to sell agricultural products at a fair price by avoiding middlemen is a major problem faced by the farmers in the CSIAP area, and as a solution to this, the project expects to sell agricultural products through an online application called 'Agro Bizz'. When selling farm produce online, payments will also be credited to farmers' accounts via 'Agro Bizz'. A leading software company 'Celata Tech' has invented this 'Agro Bizz' application which can be downloaded onto Android smartphones.
In a discussion held between World Bank officials, CSIAP officials and 'Celata Tech' company officials, it has been agreed to provide this application for free to about 70,000 project beneficiary farmers. Accordingly, a series of training programmes for selected representatives from the 11 districts under the project area as trainers have been started. The CSIAP aims to popularize this application among the farmers by training and appointing the Agricultural Business and Marketing Relations Officers and agricultural Facilitators working in the Provincial Deputy Project Director Offices of the CSAIP and office bearers of Producer Associations and Producer Societies as representatives.
Selected representatives from Hambantota, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee Batticaloa and Ampara have been trained and the 'Agro Bizz' application will be introduced to the farmers by those representatives. Farmers are able to enter the image of their products on this application and information such as the quantity of the products, the time when they can be offered for sale, and the prices expected by the farmers can also be mentioned on this application. Farmers' information, farm information, cultivation information and product information are entered into the 'Agro Bizz' application. The 'Celata Tech' company has already registered product buyers, processing agencies, freight forwarders, consultants, Banks and service providers on 'Agro Bizz' to support CSIAP farmers.
