[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Question 1 (7 Dec.) What types of ICT can play a role in the agricultural value chain? How do different types of ICT play different roles? [/quote] From Khalil Alsharjabi A Development Communication (DC) Approach to the Answer of the Question about the ICT type and role would rather take us back to the aims or objectives of ICT use. This is simply because of the nature of DC and its link to the development process. Here, communication tools are not somthing that is run or operate in a vacum but in a real social system which is intended to develop. Therefore, as have already been focussed by other contributors, classification and modelling of ICT is not the real matter as this would too much simplify the very complicatied process of communication under the real situation. We have realy to start with the question of for what purpose that ICT would be more useful and instrumental. Agriculture value chain certainly would benefit from ICT; but for [color=]what purpose: - mere awareness ( information) - knowledge (further and indepth details), - training (where some skills are required) - mobilization and sensitization - for reference and future use/consultation) - for socialization, negotiation and confilict resolution) - decision making - etc... Simialrly, before deciding the type of ICT to be used, we have to be sure about the type of reciver; Who is the user of ICT or receiver of the communication message and the type and length of the message and the behavior to be addressed (i.g. at what stage in the adoption process is the user).??!!! Other relevant questions are: - What is the extent of ICT availability?? what typr of ICT is available and accessible to users?? - What is the extent of ICT use by expected users? - To what extent is the certain ICT is affordable by the users?? - To what extent "attention", "retention" or "action" is required from the user?? Many otherr similar questions may also come into front in this context. It is well known that the value cahin include a large number of individuals, groups, organizations who could be calssified into different categories. Therefore, Proper "TARGETING" or the so-called "AUDIENCE SEGMENTATION" is unavoidable in any attempt to answer the question of the roel of, type and utilization process/strategy of ICT. [color=]In Yemen, for instance, the mobile phone has proven successful and effective in helping farmers find suitable market for their farm products. If they realize - through mobile conversasion) that prices are low in Sana'a (the Yemeni Capital), they rightaway make other phone call with their contacts in other cities, provinces, distrcts, collective markets, central markets, export centers and the like to find the most appropriate prices while they are still at their farms/houses. They are used to face a lot of marketing problems and suffer a lot of lossess before the introduction of mobile technology which is widely used by farmers and rural producers in Yemen. However, when it comes to other types and uses of ICT, the use of computer, marketing, markets and prices databases, expert system and other new technologies, this is almost nill and at best meagerly reported, if ever. although the rural telecommunication in terms of land telephone lines and even the internet service in some rural semi-urban centers have shown quick development and spread, they are still very far from intering the production and marketing circles as well as the utilization of farming and rural communities. This would apparently would require more time for waiting the expansion of roads and other needed infrastructures, for getting lower services' prices and the like. This is enough for now. I may go back to the same question at later stage before the closure of this froum Goodbye for now, with many thanks for your contribution and exchange of experiences Dr. Khalil M. Alsharjabi Dhamar City, Yemen

[quote="Lisa-Cespedes"] Dear Participants, please tell us a bit about yourselves here. [/quote] [color=]Dr. Khalil Alsharjabi & Greeting from Yemen Dear All; Greeting and early best wishes of a new 2010. I am Dr. Khalil M. Alsharjabi, Senoir researchers and DG technology Dissemination. Communication, information and extension education are my field of study, specialty and working area. I am currently working for the agricultural research and extension authority (AREA) in the Republic of Yemen. I hope that I would contribute to the present issue of the forum and learn from it as well. I wish the e-agriculture, this forum and participants all the success.[/img]

greetings and many thanks to all contributors. With regard to the question of "how to make information demand-driven" I would like to raise following issues: - There is a great need to segment users of e-agriculture (who is the user) - What is the role of various agencies in responding to the needs of potential users? and to what extend does coordination/cooperation exist among these proposed partners in agriculture and rural development? -what is the role of local, national, regional and international organizations involved in development - related activities (funding, consulting, implemeting etc.). - It is observed that the interdependance, functional relationships and action syncronization of different actors is a missing element at all levels. - The issue of information needs assessment, client-oriented or farmer-centred and other various participatory approachs are a bit costly and requires more time and skilled staff to tackle and responsively apply. Most developing or under - developing countries do lack such required resources to create demand driven information systems. -Information-generating, packaging and dissemination systems/subsystems are actually under varied development agencies thus limiting the information sharing process among themselves as weel as among other users of agriculural information (as a matter of fact of information of all development sectors. - Making information Demand - driven is an act that requires active information exchange among all development sectors (organizations and agents) on one hand and between each of them and e-information users. This means that it needs an aggressive use of varied formal and informal linkages beforehand so as to make the information more demand -driven. - In terms of agricultural research, there is also a need to sensitize researchers themselves to the needs of different famrers categories and not just for scientific curiousity or the management of their organizations which demand from them research proposals for the sake of the allocation of available resources. This means that there is a need for a shift in the philosophy not only of research. extension, and information but also of agriculutral development policies and strategies.

This is Khalil from Yemen greeting all team and community members of e-agriculture. In general there is a great variation among different countries in different regions. However, with regard to AARINENA work, I think for many years back we have been already talking much about Information systems and the regional agricultural information systems (RAIS) for many years. In my point of view, little has been done so far such as the database mentioned by Ms. Taraneh from Iran. Many meetings and workshops have been organized by AARINENA with little output mainly because of what is clearly observed in the existing variations between countries. Some countries are still using the traditional information system (paper work). There is a very low movement of transformation into a digitalized information system. Those International and regional relevant agencies are not much concerned with the necessary required remedy of such existing gaps. Even the VERCON system pioneered in Egypt, by this time it could have alreay been expanded to include other neighboring states in the region with due assistance from concerned centres/agencies. The developed softwares of NARIMS and NERAKIN by this time too should have already been tested and circulated in all member states of either FAO or AARINENA and on bases of trial application an adequate adjustment have been integrated. Given such realities, countries with established IS or AISC only could contribute to the development of a larger IS or benefit from whatever softwares or systems of a joint nature but certainly not a country like Yemen where IS is possibly growing more rapidly in the other development sectors such as telecommunication, commerce and idustry, but not in the agriculutral sector. Much could be said in this regard