Page 476 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2024

2024 ITU Kaleidoscope Academic Conference

a portion of the transportation costs. This would alleviate
some of the financial burdens associated with transporting
crops from remote areas, motivate farmers, and ultimately
allow them to retain more of their earnings as profit. By
implementing these measures, we can help ensure that
farmers are better compensated for their hard work and
contribute to the overall sustainability of the agricultural
sector.
4 DISCUSSION AND FUTURE WORK
Fig. 9: App Design Prototype
4.1 Discussion
The research on revitalizing agriculture in South 24
Parganas highlights several critical challenges faced by
farmers in this region, including inadequate financial sup-
port, limited technical knowledge, unsustainable practices,
overproduction, market price fluctuations, and a lack of ba-
sic facilities and amenities. These issues have collectively
resulted in a decline in farming interest and an increase in
land sales among the farming community. This discussion
Fig. 10: App Design Prototype will delve into the key findings of the study, analyzing their
implications and proposing actionable strategies to address
these challenges.
4.2 Future Work
Building on the findings and proposed strategies outlined
in this research, future work will focus on several key areas
to further enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of
agriculture in South 24 Parganas.
1) Enhanced Mobile Application Features
Data Analytics Integration: Incorporate advanced data
Fig. 11: App Design Prototype analytics to provide farmers with insights into market
trends, crop health, and weather patterns, enabling more
informed decision-making.
3) Proposed Government Support for Fair Transporta- Blockchain for Transparency: Implement blockchain
tion Costs to Boost Farmers’ Profits technology to ensure transparency and traceability in trans-
In our discussions with farmers, we discovered that actions, fostering trust among buyers and sellers.
they typically sell their crops at fixed rates within a 2) IoT Devices
predetermined range, considering only the basic transporta- We are working on developing two innovative devices
tion costs. This practice significantly reduces their profit designed to support farmers by monitoring both soil and air
margins. Moreover, when the farming fields are located in quality. Feedback from farmers and agricultural profession-
remote areas, the labor costs to transport the crops from the als has highlighted a significant gap: many aspiring farmers
field to the main road where transport vehicles are available struggle to understand which soil and weather conditions
are considerably higher. This further cuts into their already are optimal for different crops, which can lead to sub
slim profits. optimal yields and decreased enthusiasm for the profession.
To address these challenges, we propose that the gov- Our first device will focus on soil quality, providing real-
ernment should step in to provide a dedicated transport time data on factors such as moisture levels, pH, and nutri-
facility for farmers. The transportation cost should be ent content. This information will help farmers determine
calculated based on the distance in kilometers, the current which crops are best suited for their soil conditions and
fuel price, and a reasonable profit margin for the driver. A optimize their use of fertilizers and other amendments.
mathematical formula to determine this could be: The second device will monitor air quality, including
Transportation Cost = ( Distance (km) × Fuel Price per temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. This
Kilometer ) + Drive Profit Margin will allow farmers to assess how weather conditions impact
This would ensure a fair and transparent method for crop growth and make better decisions regarding planting
calculating transportation expenses, taking into account the times and crop management.
variable costs of fuel, distance, and providing a fair profit By equipping farmers with these tools, we aim to
for the driver. enhance their understanding of environmental conditions,
Additionally, to further support the farmers, we suggest improve crop yields, and increase their engagement and
that the government offer a subsidy or financial aid to cover satisfaction in the farming profession.

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