Dear Mr. Masood, I shall appreciate if you give me some detail information about Kissan Call Center some time latter. You can also give me address whom I can contact to get this information. I am also interested to know about Community Information Center (CIC), which is piloting in India. Do you know it? Thanks.

Hi Shapna, In Bangla, Shapna means dream. We are really dreaming. It is true that e-agriculture can be useful for the farmers when other infrastructure, facilities and skills will be in place. But question when it will happen. My believe is that we should have a small start. We may not see its success but it will take a step forward for our next generation. Our drean will be refurbished and take a actual shape that will benefit farmers. In the context of Bangladesh, we do not expect coverage of all farmers. Considering the facility, cost and skills we have planned to start with a very little, only 10 farmers clubs, which will be replicated to other clubs if it is successful. Thanks

Thanks to Manish for moderation of a good topic. Also thanks to Mr. Masood to open up a discussion on Kishan Call Center, which is really a need for the farmers of Bangladesh. The Department of Agricultural Extension is trying hard to setup a center like that. We shall be gratefull if you can give us some detail information in this regard, particularly institutional, structural and financial requirements to operate such center. The Agricultural Information Service (AIS), Bangladesh has planned to develop Community based Agricultural Information Service where some farmer clubs will be developed as an information centers with ICT and mass media facilities so that the farmer can communicate directly to the respective specialists or managers via email or webcamp. On the other hand, farmer can be asked by the news cluster via webcamp to describe the problems in their fields. Some progressive farmers will be trained to act as reporter on the local agriculture. I am expecting all of your comments.

Hi, I am Md. Nazrul Islam, Assistant Senior Adviser, Agricultural Extension Component of the Agriculture Sector Program Support funded by DANIDA. I am mostly responsible to develop institutional capacity and ICT interventions for policy and planning supports and farming community development. I am happy to be part of this discussion forum

All the players in the field of agriculture need data or information. From the policy makers to businessmen, down to the extension workers and farmers need data or information. There are always scarcity of information for them due its management. Though others can meet somehow of their needs but the farmers are always in misconception if they do not have right information at right time. The main channels of data or information to the farmers are extension workers of the government department and NGOs who can not meet regularly with most of the farmers. Others one way channels like TV, radio or print media could not cater need based information because farmers have questions to understand the information provided by these channels which nobody available there to answer. However, the recent approach of developing farmer trainers who are one step ahed and more closer to the farmers may be potential to channel information to farmers.

Hi, I am from Bangladesh. I am working as an Information Management Adviser for the Agriculture Sector Support Programme implemented jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and Ministry of Local Government. As you know, as like as other developing countries Bangladesh cann't do much in ICT development for rural farmers. Main reason is digital divide. We are looking for a innovative ICT programme for the rural farmers. Any suggestion in this regard is highly appreciated.

Hi, I am from Bangladesh and happy to be part of this forum. Recently, we have conducted an assessment of information need for the farmers, which has shown that the farmers require information about new technologies, inputs, market, etc. But there is no channel which they can depend on for getting right information in right time. Most of farmers do not have access to the most popular information channel like TV, so they alway received distorted or incomplete messages. For clear understanding, farmers need to discuss with the local extension workers who visit them not very frequently. Use of radio is also decreasing in the country due to high cost of battry. Internet connectivity is not sufficient even up to district level. Mobile is available in the villages but farmers are not using it to get agricultural information. Rarely, some farmers collect market information for their products. Print media is not that much like by the farmers for illiteracy and cost. What to do in this situation?