Kevin Kidimu
| Organization | ILRI |
|---|---|
| Organization role |
LIVESTOCK RESEARCH
|
| Country | Kenya |
| Area of Expertise |
Development of innovative tools for livestock interventions
|
This member participated in the following Forums
Forum e-Forum on ICTs and Open Data in Agriculture and Nutrition
What role can ICTs play in using Open Data in Agriculture and Nutrition for family farmers?
The role of ICT in livestock developmment cannot be gainsaid. A lot of work has been done to try come up with apps and SMS lines for reporting disease outbreaks, pests and fodder scarcity. This has had varied success depending on penetration of ICTs and tech literacy especially in sub-Sahara Africa and Kenya in particular. While this is positive, the one aspect that is mostly forgotten is the extension agent. With the move toward farmer and site-specific solutions to challenges in livestock, it is important to invest in extension. There is huge potential in using ICT and e-learning to train trainers. One of the major challenges of extension and advisory services is the cost of rolling out such programs. Having a blended approach that includes face-to-face training and e-learning could geatly reduce this cost and help in teasing out site specific challenges faced by livestock keepers in Africa.