About the Client
Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), celebrating its 60th anniversary, stands as the State Agricultural University of Andhra Pradesh. Established on June 12, 1964, as APAU (Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University) under the APAU Act of 1963, it was later rebranded as Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University on November 7, 1996, as a tribute to the Kisan Leader and Parliamentarian, Acharya N. G. Ranga.
Located in LAM, Guntur, ANGRAU dedicates itself to serving students and farmers across the 13 districts of the new State of Andhra Pradesh with renewed commitment and enthusiasm.
To address the difficulties Andhra Pradesh farmers faced in accessing digital resources, ANGRAU introduced an innovative solution: a WhatsApp chatbot. In this case study, we delve into the university’s method, the challenges encountered, the solutions applied, the results, user feedback, and future plans for integrating the chatbot
Challenges Faced:
Andhra Pradesh farmers struggled to find comprehensive digital resources for their agricultural needs, including information on pest control, crop growth, etc. To address these challenges, they needed a chatbot as a one-stop solution. The goal was to make Andhra Pradesh farmers more aware of the Farmer Call Centre through an innovative approach using a WhatsApp chatbot.
Solution Implemented:
To address the challenges farmers face, we developed a rule-based chatbot on WhatsApp, delivering information in the Telugu language.
This one-stop solution aims to provide farmers with easily accessible information on various agricultural needs, such as pest control and crop growth. The chatbot serves as a channel, directing farmers to the Farmer Call Centre for personalized assistance and expert advice.
The chatbot incorporates a decision tree with packages of practices for major crops, FAQs, toll-free phone numbers, and more presented in a logical flow.
Furthermore, the client shares daily updates related to agricultural tips and information with the farmer database over WhatsApp.
Outcomes of the Solution:
- Over 3000 farmers have accessed the WhatsApp chatbot. The Farmer call center and Rythu Bharosa Kendras have access to the contact details of farmers. This allows them to connect with a larger number of farmers through WhatsApp chatbot.
- Agricultural staff at Rythu Bharosa Kendras also began using the chatbot to quickly resolve farmer inquiries.
- The Farmer Call Centre has experienced a substantial rise in inquiries, thanks to the WhatsApp chatbot. According to the data, the daily inquiries have surged from 20-30 to over 50, reflecting a remarkable increase of over 60%.
- The chatbot provides necessary suggestions for better crop yield and shares relevant agricultural documents.
User Feedback:
Users have provided positive feedback on the chatbot’s performance and usability. Farmers expressed satisfaction with the implemented features and provided valuable suggestions such as: Introducing ANGRAU Chatbot 2.0 and translating uploaded documents from English to Telugu.
Future Chatbot Integration and Expansion Plans:
The university plans to implement a chatbot on the ANGRAU website to address student queries related to various counseling questions. Additionally, there are plans to introduce ANGRAU Chatbot 2.0 and translate uploaded documents from English to Telugu.
Final Thoughts
Introducing WhatsApp chatbots into the agriculture industry brings fantastic benefits for farmers such as enhancing communication and engagement and providing expert advice and recommendations. Moreover, chatbots have the power to drive smart agriculture by increasing productivity, reducing costs and promoting sustainability. As technology advances, chatbots will increasingly shape the future of agriculture enterprises.