What are Rythu Bharosa Kendras?

October 14, 2022

An Ethiopian delegation led by the Agricultural Minister Dr Meles Mekonen Yimer visited Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) to understand their gain their operational know-how.

Key facts

Rythu Bharosa Kendras are first-of-its-kind seeds-to-sales, single-window service centres set up by the state government of Andhra Pradesh.
These multi-functional kiosks with digital Aadhar authentication equipment act as a one-stop solution for all requirements and grievances of farmers in the state.
These centres sell pre-tested quality seeds, certified fertilizers and livestock feed.
They also provide farm equipment and enable farmers to sell their produce at the prevailing minimum support price (MSP) via supporting systems of e-cropping, geo-tagging and CM App.
They provide services like soil testing and consultancy regarding what crops to sow and quality and type of fertilizer to be used.
This has helped farmers change their cropping patterns and increase profits. RBKs are responsible for the elimination of unproductive seeds and uncertified and dangerous fertilizers from the market. This has minimized crop damage and failures significantly.
Manned by agriculture and horticulture officials, Rythu Bharosa Kendras are used to promote interactions between farmers, agriculture extension officers and agriculture scientists at the grassroot levels.
They are used for the promotion of new farm equipment and provide training for farmers.
The RBKs were recently nominated for UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Champion Awards (CCA), which recognizes contributions of governments in boosting food security.
The Ethiopian delegations visited several RBKs to understand how they operate.
They will also ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state and central governments to transfer the know-how.
The foreign delegates will receive training from Andhra Pradesh officials on how to operate the RBKs and gain knowledge about the farming systems in the state.
The Ethiopian delegations also visited the Integrated Call Centre, which connects farmers to experts in various fields to address their grievances.