2.63 crore users downloaded Arka Vyapara app, says IIHR director

Bengaluru: Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) Director Dr M R Dinesh on Friday said that as many as 2.63 crore users have already downloaded Arka Vyapara app and it will be available on Google Play Store by month-end.

Addressing the valedictory function of 2021 National Horticulture Fair here, he said Arka Vyapara app is a unique mobile application developed by the institute to connect producers with the market. By month-end, the app will be available on the Google Play Store for users to download and find suitable markets to sell their produce at a good price, said Dr Dinesh, who is also the organising committee chairman of the fair.

According to IIHR, the fair was successful in reaching out to as many as 16.3 lakh people, physically and virtually, across India. "We can easily say that the fair was a tremendous success. Also the media played a stellar role in spreading the information about the various technologies demonstrated during the fair for the benefit of the farmers and entrepreneurs, who want to improve their horticultural produce. I request the media to continue their good work and enlighten people about the lab-to-on-field work undertaken by the institute," he said. Organising secretary M V Dhananjaya said as many as seven MoUs were signed for the exchange of technologies for improving horticulture produce during the fest. He also mentioned that two varieties of horticulture crops were released during the event. As many as 16 government agencies, out of which nine were central government ones, who participated in the fair, physically or virtually.

"The response for the training programme was huge. The fair also held a live-crop demonstration for the benefit of farmers, both virtually and physically. "It has been so successful that we have been able to reach even taluk levels, despite Covid pandemic," M V Dhananjaya said.

Many committees also were formed for better coordination between horticulture scientists, farmers and entrepreneurs, Dhananjaya said.