Hi Since Saripalli Suryanarayana raised the concern about ICT in disaster management; Most of the rural farmers in developing countries are in the areas which are prone to disasters - natural or man-made. Here in Sri Lanka I am handling a project namely Disaster Emergency Warning Network (DEWN) which is being done in collaboration with the Disaster Management Centre of Sri Lanka (Government Institution). Irrigation Department (among others) is one source of information that provides info related to possible floods and overflow of reservoirs to farmers/people in disaster prone areas. We use simple SMS as well as Cell Broadcasting (CB) to disseminate disaster information to the people. Sameera.

Hi Mr. Ravishankar just mentioned about M-transactions, yes it has a good potential, but it making a real impact on the ground level is not yet happened in bigger scales, [please correct me if I am wrong with proof.] I think the people are not ready yet to make their payment through their mobile phones though it is very efficient. Two aspects; Governments should make correct policies and legal framework to facilitate M-transactions. Also Bank, Companies, and other institutions make that popular among the ordinary people and build faith on it. Examples from Sri Lanka A M-transaction mechanism introduced by Dialog Telekom (a Mobile Operator) in Sri Lanka is yet to be successful. But same company has introduced a loyalty programme called "Star Points" which seems to be happening well. You can earn and redeem Star Points whenever you shop at any Star Partner Merchant outlet located country wide. I think initiatives like this will make people ready for a world with M-transactions. Sameera.

Hi Michael I think governments should realize the potential of the private sector; they should try to bring the ICT4D in to the agenda of the private sector, especially for the companies who deal with ICT. Applying technology in the development can be a part of the business and private sector can make profits while serving the nation/uplifting the living standards of rural poor. Sameera.

Hi I am not trying to emphasize on the innovations in the mobile phone sector alone, no doubt it is amazing but what is the relevance to the rural farmers? Today in Sri Lanka you can get mobile phones and advanced services such as 3G video calls, high speed mobile internet, mobile based email services, but I wonder about their relevance to the rural farmers. This may be a common scenario among the rural farmers in Asia as well as Africa. So what are the real innovations that have positive impacts on the community who involved in agriculture? I think the low cost (Ultra Low Cost Handsets), resilience for harsh conditions, longer battery power are some important innovations for the rural agricultural community. Sameera.

Hi But don't forget, it is a costly exercise. Covering rural areas is not as easy as covering urban areas, financial, technical as well as operational matters are there. Sameera.

Hi Grace Yes, it does make a sense. You are referring to the information asymmetry; some people have products and services to be sold but do not know where to sell, But some others Want to buy products and services, but do not know from where they can buy. This information gap leads to high transaction costs. Sure, mobile phones can do something, but not alone, they have to be driven by active institutions who deal with farmers. Sameera.

Hi Michael Dialog Telekom is a mobile operator in Sri lanka and hope this discussion will be very relevant to me. Thnks for sharing the archive with me, defenitely I'll have a look. Regards Sameera.

Hi Michael My area of interest is ICT4D, and very much interested on applying ICT in agriculture sector. Nice to meet you, a like minded person :lol: Regards Sameera http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com