I am sitting in a successful telecentre. There are 14 plus computers that we pay to use. It is full most evenings. I spend 4 dollars for 5 hours. Does the focus of the telecentres need to be agriculture or can it be information in general and onto that the agriculture information is also accessed. Do we need to move out from an agriculture centre base? Noel

Dear Epiphane, I am also writing from Benin. I am here for three weeks for conducting a training course on Seed Production for rice. It is being conducted jointly by WARDA (African Rice Centre) and IRRI (International Rice Research Insitute). I am typing fro, a tele centre of Songhai. e-agriculture can bring a lot to desert countries. If there are techniques that can be used by farmers and these are made available to NGOs and public sector extension agents through the internet then the learning can be passed onto farmers. Let me illustrate how. Imagine you are sitting in a Songhai telecentre as a technician; On a website is information that can help desert agriculture. Your organisation collects that information prints it and makes it available to your desert communities? There is no difference between a desert community and a fertile agriculture community. IRRI has been working with partern countries to build local authorative knowledge on rice; We are now using the same approach with CIMMYT. There is no reason why the approach cannot be used for desert agriculture. Visit our website knowledgebank.irri.org. Go behind a flag and see what is being done in local language. Noel Magor

Dear Arafat, I think this is a good question and one I also asked Raj with ITC. I zould be interested to know the response. It woul dseem to me it is easy to get people to write bits of information but credibility is important. Noel

Dear Sapna, It woul dbe my understanding that many farmers will not have access to the internet. Getting very good information to the extension agents would be a first step. Is some of the infromation you provide in a format that the extension agent or other organisation can print off to take and use in the village. Have you thought of flyer that can be downloaded to be printed and given to farmers to advertise your services? How credible is your information? How do you ensure credibility? Noel

Dear Remi, It is most approrpiate that your site being in Bangla. I note you mention that you are engaged ni content development. For rice the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has developed about 200 plus fact sheets on cultivation of rice in Bangla. Are you tapping this source. I ask the question qs the content has the authority of the government behind it. I am very interested in content credibility. Public authorative content that is understandable by extension agents and farmers is critical in getting messages to farmers. Can you comment? Noel Magor

Dear Dr Ghandi, It would be good to have video and simple instructional material for vermi composting. There is probably good leaflets out there that have been prepared at some pont in time and then sitting on a shelf. Video is a role that government can support. I know the Rural Development Academy has the skill and ability to develop video. In 2003 and 2004 RDA developed seed health videos. the videos in English are available on Utube. The seed health videos are now available in some 20 African languages through WARDA in West Africa. The point I am making here is that government with donor support can develop materials that can then be used by the private sector for extension agents and farmers. It is a private public interface. The public link can be in two areas authorative content and development of trainig material. With internet cafes etc the maerial can then be used over and over again and ni different formats. What e krishok is diong and farming group is doing in Delhi is commendable? Noel Magor

Deqr Ahsan, Welcome to the forum. Starting a firm for rural theatre is quite an initiative. In my time in Bangladesh Shushilan in the south west produced an agriculture drama for raising rice production and information about new rice varieties. RDA Bogra with CABI developed seed health videos for good seed care. In Vietnam IRRI has worked with television drama to educate on pesticide reduction. I am wondering how you will go from rural live drama to using the dramas for rural television and even for being accessible in rural telecentres. Noel

Here's some background: Began international agriculture work in Ethiopia in 1974. From 1977 to 2006 worked in Bangladesh or on research linked to Bangladesh in farming systems research and research management (initially with an NGO and then the International Rice Research Institute). The focus has been creating impact on rural poverty through agriculture. In the close association with the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute facilitated the establishment of the Bangladesh Rice Knowledge Bank: internet based information for extension and farmers that is also available as CD or hardcopy. Now at IRRI Los Banos as Head of Training and responsible for the IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank and the linked Extension Consortia (www.knowledgebank.irri.org).