ICT for Agriculture Development:

Overview of Agriculture – IT Models and some International Perspectives

V i k a s N a t h . o r g

Founder: www.DigitalGovernance.org Initiative

www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative

Manager, global public goods Network, UNDP, Geneva

WITFOR World IT Forum

31 August 2005, Gaborone, Botswana 2005

WHO NEEDS ICT FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Govt.Agriculture

Dept.

A PROFILE OF A PROFILE OF THETHE

AGRICULTUREAGRICULTUREGROUPGROUP

Farmers

Fishermen

AgricultureExtensionists

AGRICULTUREAGRICULTUREWORKFORCEWORKFORCE

LivestockFarmsLivestock

Herders

Traders

THE 3 MAIN AREAS WHERE Information Technology COULD IMPACT AGRICULTURE:

I. providing users Access to Communication Facilities: phone, internet, email, fax, mobile phone…. for getting market prices, information on upcoming pest and locust attacks, information on weather/ rain patterns.

I. providing Interactive Demand Based Agriculture Services: Government Agriculture Programs and Subsidies, Online application for loan facilities, online Trading (auction of coffee, tea, rubber), Online Agriculture Extension and Query Redressal, Information on Cropping Pattern and Fertilizer use.

III. Undertaking Automation of Key Agriculture Functions:Digitization of Land Records, Farm Management, Milk-Fat Measurement, Agriculture Statistics and Databases.

IT for Agriculture Development :Matching Service Providers with Rural User Groups

AGRICULTUREUSER GROUPS

Farmers

LivestockHerders

Fishermen

Un-Employed

AgricultureWorkforce

Traders

GOVERNMENT & PRIVATE SECTOR

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Agriculture Ministry

AgricultureMarkets

AgricultureExtensionists

Agriculture Banks

Private Companies

Department of Livestock

Development

I N

FO

R M

AT

I O

N

T

EC

HN

OL

OG

Y

INDIA: Oddanchatram Market List of Commodity Prices

Date: August 30, 2005

http://www.oddanchatrammarket.com/

Banana Cauliflower Greenleaf Beans Chillies Lablab Beetroot Chowchow Mango Bhendi (Ladies Finger) Cluster beans Onion Bellari Onion Coconut Pumpkin Bitter gourd Cow pea Snake gourd Bottle gourd Drumstick Sour Orange Brinjal Ginger Tomato

Procurement Price:

Rs 3 (USD .7) per Kilogram

Stock Arrived: 1200 Bags (15 Flowers/Bag)

Procurement Price:

Rs 5.50 (USD .12) per Kilogram

Stock Arrived: 45 Tonness

MALAYSIA:E-Flood Information DID (JPS) Selangor Statehttp://jps.selangor.ggy.my

1. The system integrates all hydrology data from District DID (JPS) to the Shah Alam Hydrology Unit automatically and in real time.

2. It then provides real-time river monitoring to safequard life and property, and offers flood warnings through SMS.

3. The project simplifies government agency flood rescue operations.

INDIA: Fish Shoal Movements in the Indian Ocean

INDIA:

Digitized Land Record Maps.

This is a Legal Document under the Digital Document Act and can be used by farmers for getting loans from financial institutions.

Supportive IT Laws can vastly enhance the utility of IT Projects

Indonesia: Want to buy a LIVE SHEEP?

Price Terms: FOB

Specifications:For sale jamnapari goats ex Indonesia. Quality breeders between 6 and 9 months old. Able to supply up to 450 goats per month.

Berat LahirBerat Dewasa Jantan 3 - 4 kg  Jantan 68 - 91 kg Betina 3-4 kg  Betina 36-63 skg

Leave me a message

Company Name: Medanova Commodities Sdn Bhd

Contact Person: Mr Rajalingam Theva Raj

ADDRESS: 6th Floor, Suite 18, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Malaysia, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia, MalaysiaPHONE: 60 3 80762836

The FOCAL Point of IT for Development Services should be:

Increasing the « Public Value of Services » being offered by Information Technology to the Farming Community?

What do you mean by PUBLIC VALUE of Services?

What do you mean by PUBLIC VALUE of Services?

O O i

O O i

Okay, let me explain what that means?

Okay, let me explain what that means?

Case A: pre-Information Technology Situation

AGRICULTURE USERS (5) SERVICES (A, B, C, D)

A

D

B

CU1

U2

U3

U5

U4

V4D

V1B

V2C

V1A

V5D

V3D

V= Value of Service being derived by the Agriculture User: U

Total Public Value of Services derived = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5

3 WAYS to increase PUBLIC VALUE OF SERVICES:

Bring NEW USERS under the reach of the Information Technology

Provide NEW SERVICES to Agriculture Workforce / Users

Enhance the QUALITY OF EXISTING SERVICES being offered so that users derive greater Value from the same service.

THE SITUATION WILL THEN CHANGE…..

Case B: post-Information Technology Situation

AGRICULTURE USERS (8) SERVICES (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

A

E

D

B

C

G

F

U1

U2

U3

U5

U4

New Public Value = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5 +….. + UiVj

U6

U7

U8

Intelligent IT in Agriculture Projects:

Are key information needs of the Disadvantaged Groups being met?

Has the weakest link in information flow: from information source to the disadvantaged groups been corrected? For instance where local government offices do not have email connectivity, providing online services to the local community will not be useful.

Are we supporting existing institutions and ongoing efforts aimed towards growth and development, or are we opposing them?

Focus should be on training Agricultural Extensionists to allow them to use IT in their tasks and to reach out to more farming community

VIKAS NATHManager, global public goods Network, UNDP

Founder: www.DigitalGovernance.org and www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative

http://www.VikasNath.orghttp://www.DigitalGovernance.orghttp://www.DevNetJobs.org

Email: Vikas@DigitalGovernance.org Vikas.nath@gmail.com

THANK YOU

Be Innovative, think Differently with IT as it can make a meaningful difference in the Agriculture Sector!