I see the point of Fr. Ravasco. Coordination is the key to empower producer organization. This is especially true since the extension delivery has been devolved to local government units with the enactment of the Local Government Code of 1991. Producer organizations should be able to generate their own resources using the strategies thay see fit. If a producer organization realized that embracing ICT is the most effective strategy to reach its goals and objectives, then it should adopt ICT because it saw the advantages of pursuing it and not because a certain government agency prodded it to adopt ICT.

I agree with Dr. Sandy that as a theme, ICT is considered a public good. Thus, its funding is relagated to public agencies. This is very much true in the case of the Philippines.

I was able to visit the website of the Philippine Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). ATI is the former Bureau of Agricultural Extension. (www.ati.gov.ph). According to ATI's website, the ATI is the "Home of e-Extension in the Philippines". I got intrigued and did some research. True enough, Department of Agriculturre Order No. 2007-003 mandated the ATI to lead in the provision of e-Extension  services in collaboration with the various agencies, bureaus and organizational units of the DA. This is to integrate and harmonize ICT-based extension delivery system for agriculture and fisheries.

The ATI provides e-learning to farmers and fisherfolks. It maintains Farmers' Contact Center which farmers may access via phone, text, or email.

What else can I say? This government agency fully embraced ICT in the provision of extension services to producer organizations. This is a government agency which utilized ICT not just to reach out further towards empowering the stakeholders - the farmers and the fisherfolks., but also to make extension service available which in turn will entice and prod farmers to come to ATI.

Dr. Sandy,

There is still the reality that even though the producer organization has purchased the hardware, the wonders of ICT will follow. The first problem is usually the internet availability. It is difficult to have internet connection in villages which are located outside the major cities.

Thus, for individual members of producer organizations, the mobile phone is still the better tool to be used to promote ICT for agricultural development.

Hi Lalaine,

You are corrent in pointing out that financin and sustainability are major concerns in pursuing ICT in producers organization. I mean, in the Philippines, it is very difficult to fully adopt ICT in local agricultural cooperatives for the following reasons:

1. High cost of purchasing desktop / laptop computers.

2. Non-reliable inmternet service in rural areas

3. Absence of trained IT personnel to administer the cooperative's IT resources

Local cooperatives can pursue social mobilization program for corporations to donate their computers which are more than five years old to local organizations such as agricultural cooperatives. This will jumpstart the efforts of local cooperatives adopt ICT for development.

We just have to think out of the box in order to finance ICT in agirculture.

Efaminu,

This is appropriate. By using mobile phones, one of the major costs hs been effectively eliminated leading to higher income for the producer and/or lower price for the consumers. Here in the Philippines, 10/10 farmers have mobile phones. I am pretty sure that farmers would have other use for their cell phones which are related in agricultural production.

Hi Riika,

1. UP Open University currently offers two non-formal courses available to those interested in cooperatives and bio-enterprise development: New Enterptise Planning and Personal Entrepreneurship Development. These course have enabled the members of primary multi-purpose cooperatives to hone their entrepreneurial skills and thereafter result in additional household income. The courses are available online.

2. The University of the Philippines Los Banos - College of Development Communication operates a radio station, DZLB. DZLB broadcasts development-oriented radios. Farmer education is onew of the current programs of this radio station. This is an economical way of training cooperative members.

3. The UPLB Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-enterprise Development (ICOPED) is currently studying the ways in order to fully utilize ICT in cooperatives management. The institute is currently being reorganized to answer the needs of the modern agricultural cooperatives. Let's hope that ICOPED will advocate ICT application in producers cooperatives. 

I agree. I hope that this will be a reality 10 years from now.

Dr. Sandy,

I have to agree on this. Two weeks ago, I personally visited our farm in Nueva Ecija to observe the harvest season. In the old days, you need to individually visit the members of the harvest team before you can actually start harvesting and other post-harvest priocesses.

Now, all you have to do is to send an SMS message to potential members of the harvest team! I noted that during breaks, the farmers no longer operate their transistor radios. They are no more fond of sending SMS to their loved ones (children based in Manila, wife working in the poblacion, drinking buddies, etc).

Time have really changed. The mobile phone has become the greatest equalizer!