Animal and poultry treatment now at your fingertips on mobile apps. Agriculture plays a major role in Bangladesh’s economy, and livestock and poultry farms are closely linked to it. Although countless families in the country depend on this sector, farms often face major financial losses due to delays in disease detection, limitations in proper treatment and vaccination systems, and lack of information.
In this context, a mobile app called ‘Digital Khamari’ has brought a new revolution in animal services through technology. This app, created in Bengali, was created by Dr. Md. Sahiduzzaman, Professor of the Department of Parasitology, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAKU).
The app helps farmers learn about livestock and poultry diseases through easy-to-understand and illustrated information. It is an awareness and educational app, which enables farmers to quickly identify and initially solve problems on their farms with the help of technology.
One of the features of the app is its simple language and image-based feature. Farmers who are weak in education can also identify diseases through pictures. It contains detailed information on the symptoms, remedies and preventive measures of common and complex diseases of cows, goats, sheep, ducks and chickens. It also includes general medical advice and vaccination information for each disease.
Through the app, farmers will be able to know what symptoms are seen in which disease, which medicine to use, the right time for vaccination and how to find a local veterinary doctor. This will reduce animal mortality, save medical costs and reduce the financial loss of the farmer.
Professor Sahiduzzaman, the creator of the app, said that there is a clear shortage of veterinarians in rural areas. Sometimes it is not possible to reach remote hospitals. The Digital Farmer app also contains the name and address of local doctors along with their contact information, which is a big advantage for farmers. Farmers can now find out through the app why cows have swollen udders, what are the symptoms of worm-related diseases or what to do in case of various diseases including prevention of lumpy skin disease.
The app, called ‘Digital Khamari’, can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. It can then be used without the internet. It has also added awareness content, disease-based medical instructions and helpful information for farm management. Click here to get the app link.
The creator of the app, Professor Dr. Md. Sahiduzzaman, also said that in the future, there are plans to add live chat support, video tutorials, more disease-based information, disease diagnosis through artificial intelligence and a calendar feature for daily farm management to the app.
He said that the app is being updated regularly based on user feedback to make it more user-friendly and effective.
This app, funded by the Information and Technology Department of the Government of Bangladesh, is a real example of the successful application of technology in the animal services sector and rural development. It is not just information, but also a tool to help create a self-reliant farm. If such an initiative spreads with the support of the government and private partnership, it can play a huge role in improving food security, employment and nutrition. Because, a healthy animal is not only the wealth of a family, but also of a nation.