CTC farmer helpline a success

The Tobacco Farmers Information Helpline, “info-farming”, launched last year at Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) in order to capture tobacco farmer inquiries and information in real-time, has after three months of going live received 63 queries, with all of these being attended to within 24 hours.

This helpline has undoubtedly bridged the gap of communication among farmers and CTC, the company said. Tobacco is a unique crop due to its dynamic growing pattern and sensitive behavior towards agronomic practices and weather.
Therefore farmers with the assistance of the leaf extension staff need to closely monitor the crop performance. The info helpline ill act as an enabler for farmer emergency situations where technical assistance is required at short notice.

Farmers’ technical inquiries and information related to tobacco and other crops will be recorded in a database and attended to by the relevant person with the necessary expertise.

The helpline will ensure that the farmers receive quick responses for their queries and the company can effectively allocate resources to help drive productivity in the department, the company added.