Question 1 (opens 17 Sept.)
What ICT innovations are being used for farmers to access and exchange the information they need, and for service providers to provide information to farmers?
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Highlights of Question 1: Forum on ICTs for Agricultural Innovation Systems
Today, Thursday 20th September, is the fourth day of this Online Forum, and the discussion continues to benefit from the active participation of people in over 100 countries.
I have started a summary of the various innovations mentioned by participants. (This summary covers only those mentioned under Question 1): http://bit.ly/R2CPRw
Lisa
Traditional ICTs such as TV and radio are being widely used by Indian farmers to access and exchange information. Due to the high penetration rate of mobile phones, it has stepped in as the future of ICT in India. Low cost of the mobile device and its ability to provide feedback are added advantages. Few examples of success stories of extension programs using mobile technology in India are Reuters Market Light (RML), Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) of Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO)) and Kisan Sanchar. However, full potential of mobile phones to provide information to farmers has not been fully exploited by service providers. Though mobile is extensively used in farmer to farmer information network, its use as an official information service provider is yet to gather momentum. Content development and timely delivery of information has to be focused and invites the urgent attention of policy makers and extension professionals.