Gerard Ravasco
| Organization type | University |
|---|---|
| Country | Philippines |
This member participated in the following Forums
Forum Forum: "ICT and producer organizations" November, 2012
Question 4 (opens 20 Nov.)
Hi Harv,
I agree with you on this as per my vicarious observations of farmers in some very rural areas of the Philippines. And this applies not only for the womenfolk but for the men as well. Thus I feel the divide is more felt between rural and urban areas. However in terms of the divide between male and female, I do not perceive it. Since in the urban areas more women are technically adept in the use of their ICT devices or may be as equally adept as men are.
Question 3 (opens 19 Nov.)
The normal tendency of public sector is to cooperate with a donor agency or a producer organization in helping out the agricultural community. This is just my opinion but I feel that many times we cannot have optimized cooperation because of differences of time, knowledge/specialty, and sometimes differences of opinions, beliefs, and strategies in both sides of the equation (public vis-a-vis private).
However, when the public sector effects genuine coordination in terms of efforts, of schedules, of needs and aid between the producer organization and the agricultural community then we definitely will see a more selfless public sector that might not get anything back in return from the producer org but will surely be able to ensure the correct type of help/aid/training to the target community.
Question 1 (opens 12 Nov.)
Thank you Michael for putting me in perspective, it makes me realize all the more the need for me to work harder to find pieces to the puzzle.
I agree with all your points and I do believe in them. I would just like to add that in every farming/fishing/agricultural community we work with, we are certainly dealing with "digital migrants or even digital refugees" unlike the urban people in any country who develop and/or born as digital natives. And yet in education there is this principle of readiness which has to be considered. Would these people be ready to shift their paradigms and proceed to new ways of thinking in contrast to their accepted traditional ways wherein they would have to spend more time, money, effort with the former? How could we adjust ICT to the fabric of their daily living? Would training them to use computers, tablets, phones be enough to spark an ICT revolution in agriculture?
Those are some of my questions I ask myself as I try to find solutions to what seems to be very obvious problems in e-agriculture.
Question 2 (opens 14 Nov.)
Sir Sandy, I would tend to agree with you on the "hardware" investments producer organizations tend to make for the agricultural community. My point and question is even if we pursue the process much further and even if investments are made on communication infrastructures, what bothers me is the cost and sustainability of ICT means farmers use as proposed nowadays. SMS messages do cost thought phones and infrastructure services are more accessible. Computers, tablets in the way they are now connected to Internet infrastructures provide information and knowledge, but at what expense. Getting online is still expensive. Then of course, training and capacity building is certainly a must, but would this effect immediate profitability?
Sometimes I feel, good old tv, radio, and print materials are more effective in agricultural areas here in the Philippines. Just my two cents. And of course even if given the fact communication is seamless, just how well could agricultural business proceed with poor farm to market transfers (roads, transpo, etc.)?
Just my two cents.