The rural masses or peasant farmers increasingly need to access timely and critical informatioin on inputs for their crops, livestock farming and markets for the produce. But how can this be fascilitated? - A deal can be stroke between the various stakeholders involved (farmer organisations, NGOs, produce or trader groups, etc) and the mobile telephone network providers to sell low cost state of the art mobile phones with high multimedia qualities to their members payable within a fixed period. This will provide widespread ownership of mobile phones for a start. - Then free call time for members can be negotiated for a few minutes per day or per week. Group free calls can also be instituted. Bonuses can even be allocated for regular callers to encourage the regular use of the mobile phones to search, collect and transmit critical information they need - In a similar manner, the use of SMS messages that are free of charge and toll-free numbers can be negotiated with the mobile operators for farmers to submit information or request information to and from available information databanks. In my humble opinion, if the above can be implemented by the various stakeholders at their various levels, then the access to timely and relevant information by our rural farmers needed for increased productivity, improved crop yields, improved livestock management practices and for easy marketing of their produce will gradually be a reality. In turn, the cost of production will be reduce and the adoption of new technological packages proposed by agricultural research in our various regions will be greatly enhanced.

Hi All, Quite an interesting question! It is no secret that any information that will goe a long way to enable an increase in the monthly income of the peasant farmer or permit him or her to gain an extra franc for the sale of his or her produce is very much welcomed. This has repercussions socially and economically on the household and in a general manner on the livelihood of the community. The average price for a good brand new mobile phone in Cameroon is on the descend, about 25 000 FCFA. Few peasant farmers are still able to afford it. Nevertheless for a given sector, farmers who have been able to afford these mobiles phones use them to communicate vital information amongst themselves and thus can rapidly influence market prices of various commodities within their market niche depending on supply and demand at the time. Also information on the availability or prompt arrival of inputs needed to boost up productivity and yields is rapidly passed on through mobile phones to enable the phenomenon of "First come, first serve" for group members. I think a lot of impact studies need to be carried out to determine how mobiles phones can or have really enhanced rural livelihoods socially and economically.