Govi Mithuru by Dialog Axiata Empowers Sri Lankans to Grow Their Own Food in Their Home Gardens

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, has proved its adaptability and resourcefulness by bringing to the fore the long-standing, revolutionary agricultural service Govi Mithuru. A simple, farmer-focused agriculture advisory service, Govi Mithuru is perfectly placed to strengthen the government’s appeal to the public to invest in more self-sufficient agricultural activities by cultivating their own food in their home gardens.

Sri Lanka’s primary mobile agricultural information service, Govi Mithuru (Farmer’s Friend, or 'Uzhavar Thozhan' in Tamil) helps maximize crop security and yield for farmers across the country. Launched in 2015, with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Govi Mithuru’s voice service is a mobile advisory service for farmers under the theme ‘Secure crop and Family health’, created to access professional guidance in this sector. The service is designed to be used easily by anyone using even a very basic phone. This service offers advice on 25 crop groups, with Home Gardening having been one of them since launch.

Additionally, the Govi Mithuru mobile app is an extension of the original service, designed to deliver timely, quality information in tailored formats according to the user’s requirements. A one-stop hub of updated, timely information in text as well as rich media formats on topics like crop protection and expert home gardening tips. Customers are charged Rs. 1 (plus tax) per day for the voice service, and Rs. 2 (plus tax) subscription per day for the mobile app with no cost on data charges for Dialog mobile users. Currently, the Govi Mithuru app and voice service are being utilized by over 600,000 users. To avail the voice service, users can dial 616 from any Dialog mobile. Users can also download the app directly from Google Play.