Question 1: Why are national e-agriculture strategies (also referred to as “ICT for agriculture strategies” or “cyber-strategies for agriculture”) needed for the agricultural sector to fully realize the benefits of ICTs?
Thank you for your contributions on this first day of our discussion.
First of all, please allow me to clarify a little further the general
procedure for a productive discussion here. We should strive to
address the current question put forward as specifically as possible.
By that I mean our responses should articulate elements that will
enable us to formulate a clear answer directly to the specific
question at hand. While you have a total choice over what those
elements (i.e. your response contents) may be, please make sure their
formulation clearly links back to the question --thus, helping the
reader clearly understand in which ways they provide or constitute an
answer to the question.
So far, I have noted some of the replies provide a direct answer to
the question, some other do so more indirectly by, say, listing a
number of positive impacts e-agriculture strategies may have or are
expected to have. In those cases, I take it that the author of the
message implies that those are reasons --albeit not all the reasons,
and maybe not even the main reasons-- why those strategies need to be
put in place. That's the way I'm going to be reading all your posts
over the next two weeks from the perspective of the question it is
meant or expected to address, whether they do so specifically or
indirectly and implicitly. However, the more direct and specific, the
better.
Ken LohentoTechnical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)Netherlands
Dear Abou/Cher Abou :
Merci pour l’effort de lecture des contributions en anglais et pour la traduction de votre message en français. Nous encourageons ceux qui suivent ce débat et qui ne parlent que le français d’envoyer leur contribution dans cette langue, mais d’ajouter une traduction en anglais (si nécessaire en faisant une traduction automatique avec un outil comme Google traduction http://translate.google.com/) – idéalement dans le même message).
Dear Abou
Thank you for your contribution and the translation you provided in English.
These strategies are important because as technology has really advanced, proper strategies need to be implemented so that all the stakeholders, especially those involved in agriculture, can be aware of the possibilities that technology can deliver to their activities. Technology is an enabler of other sectors or operations, meaning that what technology does is to add value to whatever is that we all do. Some reasons that underlay of the importance of ICT strategies in agriculture include:-
· It costs relatively cheaper compared to paperwork
· Increases efficiency in terms of time and accuracy
· Increasing knowledge sharing among partners disregarding the physical barriers or time and distances
· Improving collaboration, networking and partnerships
· More reliable information
· Eases information storage and retrieval
These strategies are important because as technology has really advanced, proper strategies need to be implemented so that all the stakeholders, especially those involved in agriculture, can be aware of the possibilities that technology can deliver to their activities. Technology is an enabler of other sectors or operations, meaning that what technology does is to add value to whatever is that we all do.
Some reasons that underlay of the importance of ICT strategies in agriculture include:-
· Its costs (relatively cheaper compared to paperwork)
· Increases efficiency in terms of time and accuracy
· Increasing knowledge sharing among partners disregarding the physical barriers or time and distances
· Improving collaboration, networking and partnerships
· More reliable information
· Eases information storage and retrieval
ICT for agricultural strategies are very key to agricultural development. the penetration of ICts in Rural areas preferably mobile phones and Internet (3G) gives farmers the opportunity to have a direct access to information. however, what is hindering the information flow is the lack of a clear policy on how farmers can benefit from the new and upcoming ICT innovations.
I have just looked at the Uganda National Agricultural policy( December,2011) and discovered that the issues of ICT intergration in market information was not fully considered!
Community Radios could be another avenue to channel through agricultral information to farmers but little attention was also given to this wonderful opprotunity. In uganda we have a total of 200 Radios and if the policy is desiged to at least each Radio to have a program on agricultural issues it can benefit the farmers and agro-processers etc.
That's a good point about the absence of any substantial reference to ICTs in the Agricultural policy. What about the ICT Policy framework, is there any significant reference to agriculture in there?
Thanks!
I agree with you on the need for ICT integration and the role that community radio could play in the dissemination of information to farners. Attention should be paid to this form of ICT. Afterall, the United Nations ICT Task Force defines ICT as encopassing the "old" ICTs of radio, television and telephone, and the "new" ICTs of computers, satellite and wireless technology and the Internet" (see http://tinyurl.com/d533y8q). Therefore, integration of ICT in agriculture is crucial.
true true, " information asymmetry" in agricultural development can be a looked at if governments focused more on available resources and made us of the available cards to play. unfortunately we view
agriculture more on the "fork" side rather than "farm" and therefore alot is lost from the farm side and less is consumed in the end.
example: poultry farming in Kenya especially in the eastern region where it was mostly practiced by women for commercial purposes, a local radio staion normally has a program on how to rare the bords and what to do incase of emergencies such as diseases
information on the spread of disease can easily enable farmers control the damages that can happen if such information is withheld.
another worry is that most facilities are just to expensive for farmers to access yet the facilities can help in the farm management.
example "can't farmers use SAP in there farm system?
Because serious investment is required to build a sustainable ICT based advisory service where:
1. The content is valuable - demand driven, timely, accurate, and relevant
2. The means of delivery is user friendly - via technology that is suitable to the local context, language compatible and interactive
3. The service is affordable - robust partnerships between advisory service providers and telecom service providers (who are often not the same) are one way to offer subscription to extremely affordable voice and data services at scale to farmers in a country
Through the e-choupal program (http://www.itcportal.com/sustainability/lets-put-india-first/echoupal.aspx), a private company, ITC limited, provided price info and other ag advisory services to soy (and other) famers in India that also facilitated the sale of soybeans by the farmers directly to them making it not only profitable for the private company to implement the program due to more efficient procurement and lower transaction costs, but also profitable for the farmers to use the service due to higher prices.
Question 1: Why are national e-agriculture strategies (also referred to as “ICT for agriculture strategies” or “cyber-strategies for agriculture”) needed for the agricultural sector to fully realize the benefits of ICTs?
Dear all,
Thank you for your contributions on this first day of our discussion.
First of all, please allow me to clarify a little further the general
procedure for a productive discussion here. We should strive to
address the current question put forward as specifically as possible.
By that I mean our responses should articulate elements that will
enable us to formulate a clear answer directly to the specific
question at hand. While you have a total choice over what those
elements (i.e. your response contents) may be, please make sure their
formulation clearly links back to the question --thus, helping the
reader clearly understand in which ways they provide or constitute an
answer to the question.
So far, I have noted some of the replies provide a direct answer to
the question, some other do so more indirectly by, say, listing a
number of positive impacts e-agriculture strategies may have or are
expected to have. In those cases, I take it that the author of the
message implies that those are reasons --albeit not all the reasons,
and maybe not even the main reasons-- why those strategies need to be
put in place. That's the way I'm going to be reading all your posts
over the next two weeks from the perspective of the question it is
meant or expected to address, whether they do so specifically or
indirectly and implicitly. However, the more direct and specific, the
better.
Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Dear Abou/Cher Abou :
Merci pour l’effort de lecture des contributions en anglais et pour la traduction de votre message en français. Nous encourageons ceux qui suivent ce débat et qui ne parlent que le français d’envoyer leur contribution dans cette langue, mais d’ajouter une traduction en anglais (si nécessaire en faisant une traduction automatique avec un outil comme Google traduction http://translate.google.com/) – idéalement dans le même message).
Dear Abou
Thank you for your contribution and the translation you provided in English.
Regards
Ken Lohento
ICT4D Programme Coordinator, CTA
CTA | P.O. Box 380 | 6700AJ Wageningen |The Netherlands | www.cta.int
Tel: +31 (0) 317 467100
These strategies are important because as technology has really advanced, proper strategies need to be implemented so that all the stakeholders, especially those involved in agriculture, can be aware of the possibilities that technology can deliver to their activities. Technology is an enabler of other sectors or operations, meaning that what technology does is to add value to whatever is that we all do.
Some reasons that underlay of the importance of ICT strategies in agriculture include:-
· It costs relatively cheaper compared to paperwork
· Increases efficiency in terms of time and accuracy
· Increasing knowledge sharing among partners disregarding the physical barriers or time and distances
· Improving collaboration, networking and partnerships
· More reliable information
· Eases information storage and retrieval
Thank you Stella for this contribution right on point.
These strategies are important because as technology has really advanced, proper strategies need to be implemented so that all the stakeholders, especially those involved in agriculture, can be aware of the possibilities that technology can deliver to their activities. Technology is an enabler of other sectors or operations, meaning that what technology does is to add value to whatever is that we all do.
Some reasons that underlay of the importance of ICT strategies in agriculture include:-
· Its costs (relatively cheaper compared to paperwork)
· Increases efficiency in terms of time and accuracy
· Increasing knowledge sharing among partners disregarding the physical barriers or time and distances
· Improving collaboration, networking and partnerships
· More reliable information
· Eases information storage and retrieval
ICT for agricultural strategies are very key to agricultural development. the penetration of ICts in Rural areas preferably mobile phones and Internet (3G) gives farmers the opportunity to have a direct access to information. however, what is hindering the information flow is the lack of a clear policy on how farmers can benefit from the new and upcoming ICT innovations.
I have just looked at the Uganda National Agricultural policy( December,2011) and discovered that the issues of ICT intergration in market information was not fully considered!
Community Radios could be another avenue to channel through agricultral information to farmers but little attention was also given to this wonderful opprotunity. In uganda we have a total of 200 Radios and if the policy is desiged to at least each Radio to have a program on agricultural issues it can benefit the farmers and agro-processers etc.
Peter,
That's a good point about the absence of any substantial reference to ICTs in the Agricultural policy. What about the ICT Policy framework, is there any significant reference to agriculture in there?
Thanks!
Hi Balaba,
I agree with you on the need for ICT integration and the role that community radio could play in the dissemination of information to farners. Attention should be paid to this form of ICT. Afterall, the United Nations ICT Task Force defines ICT as encopassing the "old" ICTs of radio, television and telephone, and the "new" ICTs of computers, satellite and wireless technology and the Internet" (see http://tinyurl.com/d533y8q). Therefore, integration of ICT in agriculture is crucial.
true true, " information asymmetry" in agricultural development can be a looked at if governments focused more on available resources and made us of the available cards to play. unfortunately we view
agriculture more on the "fork" side rather than "farm" and therefore alot is lost from the farm side and less is consumed in the end.
example: poultry farming in Kenya especially in the eastern region where it was mostly practiced by women for commercial purposes, a local radio staion normally has a program on how to rare the bords and what to do incase of emergencies such as diseases
information on the spread of disease can easily enable farmers control the damages that can happen if such information is withheld.
another worry is that most facilities are just to expensive for farmers to access yet the facilities can help in the farm management.
example "can't farmers use SAP in there farm system?
Because serious investment is required to build a sustainable ICT based advisory service where:
1. The content is valuable - demand driven, timely, accurate, and relevant
2. The means of delivery is user friendly - via technology that is suitable to the local context, language compatible and interactive
3. The service is affordable - robust partnerships between advisory service providers and telecom service providers (who are often not the same) are one way to offer subscription to extremely affordable voice and data services at scale to farmers in a country
Through the e-choupal program (http://www.itcportal.com/sustainability/lets-put-india-first/echoupal.aspx), a private company, ITC limited, provided price info and other ag advisory services to soy (and other) famers in India that also facilitated the sale of soybeans by the farmers directly to them making it not only profitable for the private company to implement the program due to more efficient procurement and lower transaction costs, but also profitable for the farmers to use the service due to higher prices.