Do you know of e-agriculture strategies (or ICT Policy chapter on agriculture) that actually have those key target areas and value chain segments?
If no, at least you could please elaborate a bit more on the rationale of your targets.
In general, beyond the conceptualization level, we would like to hear primarily about what is actually happening in the countries and related issues as experienced on the ground.
Thanks
Nganwani, you have pointed out some good points and I would like just to add something especailly on Pest control and Soil management which is affecting production in agriculture. Farmers need a lot of support from the exention providers and researchers.
developing countries must have a clear strategy to reduce the information gaps between the exention workers and farmers. And once farmers are given all the necessary technical support. they will have no big trouble of accessing good markets.
So far I note that the responses tend to be prescriptive/normative, in the form of "this is what should be." Two things:
1) The question refers to "these e-agriculture strategies" as referenced in the previous question, that is, examples of national strategies you may know of. In other words, it is more desirable that you address things that are, as they are.
2) In the unlikely case you don't have any examples at hand or in case you just really want to make a conceptual or normative contribution, then I would appreciate you do it in such a way to convince your readers about why you think some things SHOULD be as you say.
The Key target areas i raised are not conceptual.As earlier stated,my organization is currently implementing the Audio Conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) project.This directly relates to my point on e-Agriculture targeting Agricultural Extension.
Furthermore, ESOKO in Ghana which is one of our partners is also running projects on SMS alerts for farmers on various issues in Agriculture such as
1.Market access
2.Cultural practices in Farming etc.
Also, M-Banking is commonly used by many farmers in Ghana to recieve and transfer money to facilitate the success of their Agribusiness.
These and many are the on going e-agriculture activities running across the Agricultural Value Chain in Ghana.
The issues raised are therefore not conceptual as you perceieved.
The Key target areas i raised are not conceptual.As earlier stated,my organization is currently implementing the Audio Conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) project.This directly relates to my point on e-Agriculture targeting Agricultural Extension.
Furthermore, ESOKO in Ghana which is one of our partners is also running projects on SMS alerts for farmers on various issues in Agriculture such as
1.Market access
2.Cultural practices in Farming etc.
Also, M-Banking is commonly used by many farmers in Ghana to recieve and transfer money to facilitate the success of their Agribusiness.
These and many are the on going e-agriculture activities running across the Agricultural Value Chain in Ghana.
The issues raised are therefore not conceptual as you perceieved.
Dear Nganwani,
Thank you for that clarification. My misperception came from the fact that you mentioned those were the key TAs and VCSs that *should* be considered while the origin of those choices was not made explicit in your post. What do you or does Esoko mean by "cultural practices in farming"?
Thanks
Dear All,
Greetings to you all. My observation is that ACP member countries lack an e-agriculture market to sell their agricultural products. My suggestion is that an e-agriculture market be created and furnished with latest market updates and other market information from other ACP countries and abroad accessable to farmers and other participants. This will attract lots of people to e-agriculture, as most people have their products and do not have a better choice and means of exchanging them for more rewarding prizes abroad or maybe just to make a market choice depending on different country agricultural products rates. This will be a good incentive for people to take advantage of and exploit the e-agriculture plantform.
This suggestion is forward in response to question 3.
Thanks,
Emmanuel
Emmanuel's post has brought to my mind a variety of constraints related to building an effective market place. We may well talk about e-agriculture, etc. but at the end of the day, goods (crops, produces, etc.) have to be moved around when it comes to agricultural market transactions (but not only...)
Are physical and administrative infrastructures to facilitate such movements specifically addressed in the national e-strategies you know of?
What about electronic payment infrastructures to enable (specifically in the agricultural sector) secure payments to parties at distance and indeed in different countries?
Thanks for all the information. You're points are well received. Very little of what you have pointed out is beign implemented in the Caribbean. Unfortunately agri extension has fallen and is not as vibrant as it used to be. There are private stakeholders that make the effort to better farmers and other stakeholders but most government based extension officers face severe issues with regards to the lack of resources and technical capapbilities. Much of their work falls on record keeping and promoting business products (i.e. pesticides etc)
However those private stakeholders that do make a difference focus on developmental initiatives rather traditional extension services. Experiential learning and practical application are key in such work. This is evident in examples by other participants in the forum especially in Africa. Each of the aforementioned areas are important but I'd encourage the though of local sustainable development as part of the overall strategy.
Question 3: What are the key target areas and value chain segments for these e-agriculture strategies? And Why?
The following are the very key target areas and value chain segments that the e-agriculture strategies in the ACP countries should consider:
These key target areas/value chain segments are cardinal for accelerated Agricultural and Rural Development in the ACP nations.
Furthermore,these key target areas will also harness the value of ICT for national development and thus propel the development of ICT4D in the ACP.
Nganwani,
Do you know of e-agriculture strategies (or ICT Policy chapter on agriculture) that actually have those key target areas and value chain segments?
If no, at least you could please elaborate a bit more on the rationale of your targets.
In general, beyond the conceptualization level, we would like to hear primarily about what is actually happening in the countries and related issues as experienced on the ground.
Thanks
Nganwani, you have pointed out some good points and I would like just to add something especailly on Pest control and Soil management which is affecting production in agriculture. Farmers need a lot of support from the exention providers and researchers.
developing countries must have a clear strategy to reduce the information gaps between the exention workers and farmers. And once farmers are given all the necessary technical support. they will have no big trouble of accessing good markets.
Dear all,
So far I note that the responses tend to be prescriptive/normative, in the form of "this is what should be." Two things:
1) The question refers to "these e-agriculture strategies" as referenced in the previous question, that is, examples of national strategies you may know of. In other words, it is more desirable that you address things that are, as they are.
2) In the unlikely case you don't have any examples at hand or in case you just really want to make a conceptual or normative contribution, then I would appreciate you do it in such a way to convince your readers about why you think some things SHOULD be as you say.
Thanks,
Mawaki
Dear Mawaki,
The Key target areas i raised are not conceptual.As earlier stated,my organization is currently implementing the Audio Conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) project.This directly relates to my point on e-Agriculture targeting Agricultural Extension.
Furthermore, ESOKO in Ghana which is one of our partners is also running projects on SMS alerts for farmers on various issues in Agriculture such as
1.Market access
2.Cultural practices in Farming etc.
Also, M-Banking is commonly used by many farmers in Ghana to recieve and transfer money to facilitate the success of their Agribusiness.
These and many are the on going e-agriculture activities running across the Agricultural Value Chain in Ghana.
The issues raised are therefore not conceptual as you perceieved.
Dear Mawaki,
The Key target areas i raised are not conceptual.As earlier stated,my organization is currently implementing the Audio Conferencing for Agricultural Extension (ACE) project.This directly relates to my point on e-Agriculture targeting Agricultural Extension.
Furthermore, ESOKO in Ghana which is one of our partners is also running projects on SMS alerts for farmers on various issues in Agriculture such as
1.Market access
2.Cultural practices in Farming etc.
Also, M-Banking is commonly used by many farmers in Ghana to recieve and transfer money to facilitate the success of their Agribusiness.
These and many are the on going e-agriculture activities running across the Agricultural Value Chain in Ghana.
The issues raised are therefore not conceptual as you perceieved.
Dear Nganwani,
Thank you for that clarification. My misperception came from the fact that you mentioned those were the key TAs and VCSs that *should* be considered while the origin of those choices was not made explicit in your post. What do you or does Esoko mean by "cultural practices in farming"?
Thanks
Dear All,
Greetings to you all. My observation is that ACP member countries lack an e-agriculture market to sell their agricultural products. My suggestion is that an e-agriculture market be created and furnished with latest market updates and other market information from other ACP countries and abroad accessable to farmers and other participants. This will attract lots of people to e-agriculture, as most people have their products and do not have a better choice and means of exchanging them for more rewarding prizes abroad or maybe just to make a market choice depending on different country agricultural products rates. This will be a good incentive for people to take advantage of and exploit the e-agriculture plantform.
This suggestion is forward in response to question 3.
Thanks,
Emmanuel
Emmanuel's post has brought to my mind a variety of constraints related to building an effective market place. We may well talk about e-agriculture, etc. but at the end of the day, goods (crops, produces, etc.) have to be moved around when it comes to agricultural market transactions (but not only...)
Are physical and administrative infrastructures to facilitate such movements specifically addressed in the national e-strategies you know of?
What about electronic payment infrastructures to enable (specifically in the agricultural sector) secure payments to parties at distance and indeed in different countries?
Dear Moses
Thanks for all the information. You're points are well received. Very little of what you have pointed out is beign implemented in the Caribbean. Unfortunately agri extension has fallen and is not as vibrant as it used to be. There are private stakeholders that make the effort to better farmers and other stakeholders but most government based extension officers face severe issues with regards to the lack of resources and technical capapbilities. Much of their work falls on record keeping and promoting business products (i.e. pesticides etc)
However those private stakeholders that do make a difference focus on developmental initiatives rather traditional extension services. Experiential learning and practical application are key in such work. This is evident in examples by other participants in the forum especially in Africa. Each of the aforementioned areas are important but I'd encourage the though of local sustainable development as part of the overall strategy.