'Rythanna KIT' wins YFSI; Plans to tie up with Govt. to help farmers

HYDERABAD: Girls from Government Polytechnic College for Women, Warangal won the first prize for their innovative product- Rythanna Kit, in Youth for Social Impact (YSFI), held at T-Hub on Wednesday (November 24). The students were awarded Rs 1,50,000 at the event.

The event was a collective effort by the Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC), Y-Hub, YuWaah, Inqui-Lab Foundation and the Department of Higher Education of Telangana, UNICEF, India.

The girls from Warangal were among the 11,823 students who had applied under YSFI from various colleges across Telangana.

Hailing from farmers' families themselves, the girls began working on an idea that can help farmers dry and protect grains from moisture and rain.

Observing that improper drying of food grains affects the yield, the students developed a Tarpaulin that helps the farmers secure their yield in different climatic conditions.

In an exclusive interview to NewsTAP, the students, V Laharika, G Chandana and N Swetha, spoke about their gratifying experience at YSFI and their way forward to launching their product into the market.

The students were accompanied by their mentor, Raja Reddy Mettu and faculty coordinator, Asma Bushra.

EXCERPTS:

How did you register yourself with the YSFI and how did they help you with the idea?

YSFI, partnered with TSIC, and reached out to all the students across the state through the college management. Our college supported our idea and enrolled us in the program. We pitched our idea to the YFSI and were later selected as the top 10 ideas. The YFSI then helped us in producing a prototype and a working model of our product.

As your idea was accepted by the YSFI for funding, what is the next step forward?

We want our product to be tested scientifically and improve product specifications. Winning gave us some additional push to design more kits with additional features that can benefit the farmers in producing yields with minimum damage.

We also plan on taking a proposal to the Government to offer our Rythanna Kit for subsidyised cost to all the farmers in the state of Telangana as part of their numerous welfare schemes in support of the farmers.

What are the features of the designed Tarpaulin and how is it useful for the farmers?

During the monsoon, farmers often face difficulties to dry and protect their grains and our product solves the issue. It helps the farmers to dry their grains even during the monsoon.

The Tarpaulin has a zip attached to the product that allows the farmers to cover the grains from damage. We have included net meshes on the tarpaulin for free airflow to make sure the grains are not damaged. The tarpaulin is also moisture free and easy to use. The product is also highly water-resistant, durable with high density and light in weight.

Was the product tested by farmers? What was the feedback given by them?

Yes, our product has been tested on the fields and was liked by many farmers. In fact, we have received several orders for the product. We also tested the tarpaulin using weight-based methods and moisture-testing devices. The results, in both methods, were constructive. We plan on testing the product in various other methods as well.

What are the other products that are included in the Rythanna Kit besides Tarpaulin?

Besides the Tarpaulin, we added:

Tarpaulin tape - To cover any holes and damages caused to it;

Gloves – To help farmers spread the grains without causing harm to their hands;

First AID kit - The mandatory medicine kit for farmers during emergencies;

Rubber Strip - To cover spade's sharp edges while using it on a tarpaulin during spreading or gathering grains; and

Rat spray – To safely store the tarpaulin.

How will the Tarpaulin be helpful for the farmers in different climatic conditions?

The product has a zip attached along with meshes stitched at certain places in the Tarpaulin. During the rainy season, the top layer of the tarpaulin can be closed and the food grains can still be dried. Similarly, during sunny days the top layer can be opened to help the food grains dry faster.

Additionally, the food grains can be dried at night as the top layer of the tarpaulin can be closed. The food grains are even safe from birds.

How is it different from other products that are available in the market for farmers?

We can proudly say that no other similar product exists in the market and therefore, our design is the selling point for our product. With a few additional products, besides tarpaulin, we had called it 'Rythanna KIT' which helps the farmers to protect their yield during unseasonal rains.