Hello Héléne Martin, Some very interesting and helpful information on the Applab site. Given that the communication is sms based, does this preclude the illiterate? One of the examples given on the site is as follows: query - sent from mobile phone: "Cassava mosaic virus" RESPONSE "Dilute 1 litre of milk with 9 litres of water. Spray the solution every 10 days to prevent mosaic virus in tomatoes, tobacco, sugarcane and cassava. Spray every SMS 1 of 2 » 3 wks to control spider mites and caterpillar eggs. « SMS 2 of 2" Or is this not a serious issue in Uganda? Maybe there are initiatives to overcome the problem by involving school going children etc. Also could you please tell us what type of capacity has been developed to address the potentially diverse queries. Are there linkages to research departments or universities or is this managed in-house? Thanks

Could someone please tell us about the monetary aspects and implementation methodology of their existing programs i.e. - who implemented the program? - do farmers purchase the equipment from their own resources and is this done individually or as a group? - is there any subsidy? - is there an initial training program and is this conducted by the private or public sector? - is the program commercially oriented and sustainable? - has any impact assessment been carried out from a development point of view?

Hello, My name is Khalid Khan. I am the CEO of Agribusiness Support Fund, an autonomous not-for-profit organization established in Pakistan with the support of the government and the Asian Development Bank. We provide matching grants to agribusiness enterprises and farmer groups for the purchase of BDS. We have established over 1100 farmer enterprise groups involving 11000 farmers (21% women) who are currently engaged in a variety of agribusiness related activities. Our focus is on horticulture and livestock. I would like to learn more about the potential of mobile telephony as a tool for rural development through sustainable agribusiness activity.