Question 1: ICTs for collecting agricultural, socio-economic, or M&E data (Open 11 June)
Question 1: Collecting data the conventional way (through paper and pen) is time-consuming, costly, and difficult to manage. However, digitization and increases in connectivity have created opportunities to improve these processes.
What types of ICT applications or devices are available for collecting agricultural, socio-economic, or M&E data in remote locations? How can you use them?
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The most pupular tool that is currently being used to collect data in rural areas is a mobile phone. With the increase in penetration of mobile phones in the rural areas, the mobile phone has become a household tool that can be used to send and receive messages.
Also anumber of mobile applications have been developed that enable collection of data on amobile phone.
It can also be use to capture videos, pictures, and also send this information to the users. other ICTs that can be used are digital cameras and recorders.
Though the main limitation to the effective use of these tools is the availabilty of electricity in rural areas.
It is true everthing you said zgamuriat about electricity and mobile phone in rural areas. But if we expand the issue to improving livelihoods, it is a booming business of operating portable electric generetor just for recharging mobile phones in rural areas. So coming to grips with reality, the issue of electricty is not that much of a hinderance for operating rural mobile phones at least in isolated cases.
This means we can still come back to the critical issues of operation, data type, accuracy, relevance to the source, mode of presenting the data to final destination of analysis. Validity of the data captured tells alot about the data capturer. For example, how does an illiterate capture pest destruction in a local rice field that is reaching threshold level very fast. Think of validity of the data for correct analysis, the transfer and feedback remedy.
Rabiu,
You make a strong point. We are training our Community Knowlege Workers on how to set up an offgrid charging mirco-enterprise. We find that not only do they earn revenue but they also save household costs on carosene or parafin and the health benefits of solar are much greater.
Some of our CKWs earn as much as 100,000 UGX (40 USD) per month in charing phones and small appliances. With 60% of our CKWs earning under 1.25 USD per day the charging business can double their household income.
Best regards,
Sean
Perfect Sean, we hit it in this forum. Thanks to e-agriculture. As Senior Special Assistant Agriculture (SSAA) in Kano state, I am interested to present comprehensive proposal on the Off Grid Charging Micro-Enterprise to Kano State Governor for applying in the state. Kindly send me more details regarding the training, where and how many participants and cost implication that covers the required technology to be owned by the trainees.
To us, the added advantage of cutting kerosene for household cooking and health benefits are enormous. Clearly I can imagine significance of the technology bordering on positive challenge to climate change; checking desert enchrochment, positive poverty reduction and most importatnt improving connectivity for contactivity of the hitherto 'closed' rural communities.
Let's establish contact line on this please Sean
Thank you
Hello Rabiu, I have been to Kano to visit the agricultural university and model farms back when I was setting up Nokia Life Tools in Nigeria. Let's discuss offline how we can help you get started. My email is [email protected]. All the best, Sean
Hi Sean, it is wonderful hearing that you have been to Kano for similar engagement before. I have choosen a farm site (about 300 acres) some 1 hour drive southwards Kano for developing 'ICT in agriculture' concepts that have worked elsewhere, for Kano smallholder farmers. It is a ranch farm in the making and we hope to start from cattle fattening (3months) to slaughtering, refridgerating and distribution/retailing in Kano and beyond. The underpining drive is to train local farmers on market-led farm productions principally fresh vegetables, red meat, organic agriculture and e-farming. The farm location is closest to highest irrigation area in the country (Kano River irrigation Project -KRIP), a surface irrigation covering 22,000 hectares commissioned since in the seventies and still going strong but requires some modern transformation. The farmers in this area are as 'closed' to global ICT trend as a dead reciever. In fact, kindly prepare to include the ranch in your model farms project. Will stop here for continuation through the email you send to me. Much appreciation and till you hear from me via your email again.
Thank you Sean
Sane and Rabiu,
You bring out a fancinating topic. We at iFormBuilder are now deploying mobile servers, we call ThunderPlug, to the field. These servers are as small as a nomarl external harddrive and can connect locally to smart phones or iPodTouches. So now not only can we collect data offline, we can also share, update, report and analysis completely offline. The only requirement is electricity, which makes the off grid charging concept a fancinating idea. It turns a challenge into an oppoprtunity!
So how much power do these portable generate produce? How hard is it for a local household to set it up?
Thanks.
Sze
Dear Szawong,
Looks like the puzzle is gradually fitting itself for us here before laid on the ground. As you would probably see my latest response to Sean we approached off-forum interaction towards developing opportunities into business. What I would suggest is you also send me your email address so that I can forward more information regarding my local engagements and plans for e-farming development for smallholder farmers here in Kano Nigeria. I like the iFormBuilder idea for quick communication by local farmers to e-agriculture community.
Capacity of portable generators - different range to serve different demand and applications. But from 700w to ----? It is usually a buy, add fuel and engine oil and start affair. Tailors, mobile phone chargers, computer centres, and even residential houses use them extensively. Simply operated by remotest rural people. Different brands, Honda, Kubota, Tiger, Suzuki, I am sure are familiar technologies with you.
Hi zgamuriat,
Over the years we have gained extensive experience with collecting data with mobile phones. As we have identified that charging the phones was a problem, we started to give out solar chargers as incentives for participating in our SMS-based quizzes. The chargers can be used to charge phones in little time. We distributed the chargers through local, regional and district offices of the partner that we worked with. Besides the advantage of being able to participate with their mobiles, the respondents sometimes figured out some kind of business model where they would charge other's mobiles for little money. Great to see this kind of entrepreneurship.
Rgds, Arjen