Margao: The mandatory app-based verification system for purchasing subsidised agricultural fertilisers has left several farmers across Goa struggling to complete routine transactions, with many citing outdated mobile handsets and patchy network connectivity in interior farming belts.Farmers have demanded that small-value purchases be exempted from the digital verification requirement or that technical glitches be resolved urgently, warning that delays could affect crucial sowing windows.Sanjay Dessai, an agriculturist from Karmanem, Dabal, said the digital-only mandate, though well-intentioned, did not take into account ground realities.“While the effort to ensure transparency in subsidy distribution and curb leakages is commendable, the digital-only mandate overlooks harsh grassroots realities,” he said. “A vast majority of our traditional and smallholder farmers do not own modern smartphones. Erratic mobile connectivity in interior agricultural belts leads to frequent transaction failures, while the complicated interface of the app creates an impossible digital barrier for non-tech-savvy cultivators.”Dessai suggested exempting purchases up to Rs 2,000 from mandatory app verification, allowing smallholders to buy fertiliser over the counter during time-bound crop cycles. He also called for the app to be redesigned along the lines of popular UPI payment platforms, with Konkani and Marathi language options and voice prompts.Licensed fertiliser dealers and primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), he said, could be authorised to verify sales through point-of-sale devices using a farmer’s Krishi Card, eliminating the need for a personal smartphone.“Technology must serve as an enabler rather than an obstacle,” he said.Agro researcher Sachin Tendulkar, however, said the app mandate was a step in the right direction and most farmers should be able to adapt to it.“The app-based purchases have been designed to ensure transparency in the dealings, and that’s a welcome sign,” he said. “If the UPI payment system has penetrated remote areas, there is no reason why app-based purchases should be an impediment for most farmers.”Tendulkar acknowledged that elderly and tech-illiterate farmers would need support. He suggested that krishi mitras and agriculture department officials help them use the system.“For the small percentage of farmers who are elderly and tech-illiterate, krishi mitras and agriculture department officials could help them,” he said. “The department should organise capacity-building workshops where the technology is demonstrated to farmers, so they are equipped to use the apps independently.”Farmers’ bodies said the govt should act swiftly either by relaxing verification norms for small transactions or addressing connectivity and interface issues.
