Question 3 (opens 19 Nov.)

The numerous factors that influence IT adoption and use in agricultural organizations can be grouped into five categories:  access to IT; demographic; IT training/education; trust; and, time (Kurtenbach and Thompson, 2000).  It's clearly demonstrated that the complexity of farm, degree of external support, age, time, experiences, network, availability of information, personality and approach to learning enhanced or diminished a farmer's computer use (Iddings and Apps, 1990). 

And also factors like lack of ICT proficiency, lack of ICT benefit awareness, too hard to use, lack of technological infrastructure, cost of technology, trust level in the ICT system, lack of training, system integration and software availability limit the use of ICT by farmers (Taragola and Galb, 2005).  -  Joyce Wendam

Jayathilake,H.A.C.K., Jayaweera, B.P.A., and Waidyasekera, E.C.S. ICT Adoption and Its Implications for Agriculture in Sri Lanka.  Accessed at www.sljol.info/index.php/ JFA/article/download/1799/1511.

Dear Joyce,

Thanks for citing Taragula, Gelb from http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/economics/gelb-hort-14-2012.pdf

our public domain e-Book ICT ict in Agriculture:Perspectives of Technological Innovation

Would you like to join in our survey

http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/economics/voet-gelb.pdf

best,

Ehud Gelb 

Factors such as social, economic and regulatory environment can influence the success of ICT project implementation.

Public sector can support producers’ organizations and their uptake of ICT by formulating policies which will make way for telecommunications infrastructure and access; strengthen and enable implementation of ICT projects by developing the skills of the extension agents on their role as link between the farmers and research products/technologies ; informed discussion with producers’ organizations on the potential application of ICT; education and digital literacy of producers’ organizations;  grant incentives for ICT education and training at all level;  provide support/investment on ICT research for  ICT development to attract investors and encourage private sectors to innovate;  find means for sharing best practices and lessons learned of other organizations;  strengthen online security and privacy; encourage private sectors to invest on ICT by giving them affordable financing incentives (tax credits, loans at affordable interest and accelerated appreciation schedules for ICT assets); encourage competition among ICT firms/suppliers – competitive bidding  - when procuring ICT products/services and promote public-private partnership for ICT program/projects/undertakings (including research).

ICT as Enablers of Development: A Microsoft Whitepaper 2004

www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/docs/activities/1109618441

The role of the public sector is critical in supporting producers' organizations uptake of ICT. True many plans are being implemented and more plans are being mapped out. For me, part of these plans should integrate the role of the public sector to create an enabling environment in order to influence  the choices that producers' organizations make in terms of adopting the appropriate ICT that best suits their   particular needs. The public sector should help producers' organizations to assess and determine the ICT needs of the organization before deciding on what and when  assitance is to be infused. It is crucial to consider the readiness and appropriateness of the producers group to use/apply more advanced ICTs. Many times government intervention schemes and that includes ICTs, which are usually costly, are not successful in achieving the desired results because target beneficiaries are not ready coupled with other concomittant factors like the commitment to sustain the process of intervention even without the puiblic sector's support.

Let me illucidate my point by expressing that if a producer's group is doing well with the use of the radio and or television, the public sector should explore even exploit all possibilities to maximize its use. Then let the public sector take on the role of connecting these producer's group to other producer's groups, the market, and the global world, and develop  a feedback mechanism to the producers' group through the medium that they can relate to rather than insisting they use new media which at their level they could not appreciate for one reason or another. I think this will make everybody happy and productive. The producer's group attain what they need and the public sector is serving their purpose.

Reading all your posts, I see that almost all good recommendations and proposals pertaining to the question "what should be the role of the public rector uptake Ict?" have already been specified:  However, I have few thoughts to add:

I think that public sector as they belong to the public leading groups and servants of society must primarily keep their duties and positions trustworthy and dependable based on the spirit of service to all people.  In appying this consciousness of service to the nation in the agricultural sector and ICT development, all the huge suggestions that mentioned in this forum I believe will be fulfilled.

I am sure that in the government position as public sector knows their role, functions, and works, even before public and private sectors remind them to do, revise, and create new policies of ICT's and agriculture, therefore it is important to keep the essence of calling to be public leaders and servants otherwise no matter how rightful policies and proposal for ICT and agriculture,  there would be an struggle to exist, develop, and sustain.

In addition, public sector has all the power and strength to establish, expand, advance, and produce ICT fully bloom once that there is enough budget, and it is the priority and need of the society. The authority, control, influence and supremacy are in their hands for the correct disposal of funds, support, approval, coordination, and collaboration to the private sectors in this case of ICT and agricuture.  They have a big role and I am sure that they know their tasks however it is also the duty of the concerned citizens (private sector) to execute their rights and contribute their obligations to make any project for instance on ICT for agriculture.

Things to be considered and to bear in mind that although separate identification and functions but one body for a common task and a communal goal to build a society for ICT and agriculture a better service of advancement for all, not only for individual but collectively.