Dear Kashfia, An important issue. Do you realise that most of the information you want for farmers and extension workers is already publically available in hard copy? Let' s think of vegetables. I am a rice person and so I thought I would take another area. At BARI and at the DAE in the Agriculture Information Services there are leaflets and brochures on specific vegetable technology. By meeting with the concerned institution you can put this information on the internet and have it cross checked for scientific accuracy and you can check it with farmers for being easily understood. There are no restrictions to this. NGOs have been doing it for years. Why not try with one enterprise that you are particularly interested in. And put it on the net. Noel
Submitted by Ananya on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 09:42
Dear e-ag group I am Ananya Raihan working with D.Net since 2001. D.Net has been propagating a system of information and knoweldge for the poor and marginalised and stressed on digital content on important livliehood issues: one of them is sustainable agriculture. I would like to see that this forum comes out with a consensus that an integrated approach is needed, I mean from laboratory to the filed to the shop of agri prodcues, where infromation is possible to retrieive in a form which is comprehendable and usable by the farmers in the filed as well as during selling of the prodcue. I commend this initiative, the future of the forum is that not only intellectuals but also grassroots people cna contribute to the discourse.
Submitted by Kashfia ahmed on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 04:21
Hello everyone. I am Kashfia from WIN Incorporate. Its really exciting to share ideas and experience with e-agriculture forum. As we are working specially with Agricultural content to make it ICT enable and easier to the rural community, we need up-to-date info and thoughts that would help us to make our content more productive and dynamic. I hope from the forum discussion we will get some innovative ideas that would help us to step forward. WIN Incorporate a private firm has already successfully developed and disseminated contents in NATIVE language since 2005. Presently we are working with Grameen Phone, one of the largest mobile phone companies in Bangladesh for information dissemination through GPCIC (GrameenPhone Community Information Center). The rural people particularly the farmers can get info from their nearest GPCIC from our website named "ruralinfobd.com". All the contents are written here in "Bangla" to make the website more communicative and acceptable to the farmer. And if any query arises that is not available in the website, WIN provides solution through email or mobile phone. WIN gives priority on regular updating of the content to make it flaws-free and perfect. We have an expert panel comprising Govt and Private sector specific expertise who validate the content to make it more authentic. Newly WIN has started a new venture named "e-Krishok". The "e-Krishok" members are affiliated with the nearest "Telecentre" from where they can easily get their required agro related info. And we are planning to develop our tools and services that would be really helpful for the "e-Krishok" members and also advantageous for WIN itself. It is noticeable that in Bangladesh WIN is the pioneer of this type of model. I would like to hear more from the forum that would encourage us to operate our project more productively as well as profitably. Thanks, Kashfia. Banladesh.
Submitted by Manish Pandey on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 10:39
Hi Ananya. It sure is good to have you in the forum. Please share with us your rich experience in DNet and indeed in Bangladesh as regards making telecenters work for the farmers. I look forward to your contributions on how public-private partnerships are working or can work in terms of making agriculture work through ICT and moreover depending on the mode of service delivery benefit the wider communities. Best, Manish
Submitted by Ahlam Abdelrhman Mohamed on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 10:55
Hi,Iam Ahlam Abdelrhman Mohamed, Iam from Sudan ,working as agricultural Technican in the agricultural Economics & Policy Research Centre.My interst is to know how technology can assist in poverty reduction .In our country not every farmers in the remote areas is able to access to the agric. information,so Iwould like the fourm to discus such problem concering the rural areas thanks for your invitation
Submitted by Facilitator User on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 12:38
Hi, Ahlam, my name is Zeinab, I'm working in Agric. Research Center in Egypt, from my experience in Egypt with IT, poor, and illiterared peaple, or even people who live in isolated areas can get access to their needed information by the support of well trained communication facilitators who prepared and received previous training to facilitate reaching community members to their information needs and exchange their local experiences, as well as transfer their problems to the concerned officials in order to find solution,but this need infrastructure for IT such as information communication network services, computers......, thanks, Zeinab