V i k a s N a t h . org
Founder:
www.DigitalGovernance.org Initiative
www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative
Manager, global public goods Network, UNDP, Geneva
ICT for Agriculture Development:
Overview of Agriculture – IT Models
and
some International Perspectives
WITFOR World IT Forum
31 August 2005, Gaborone, Botswana 2005
WHO NEEDS ICT FOR AGRICULTURE
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Govt.
Agriculture
Dept.
Traders
Farmers
AGRICULTURE
WORKFORCE
Fishermen
Livestock
Herders
Agriculture
Extensionists
Livestock
Farms
A PROFILE OF
THE
AGRICULTURE
GROUP
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.
Agriculture
Ministry
Department of
Livestock
Development
Agriculture
Banks
Agriculture
Markets
Private
Companies
Agriculture
Extensionists
I N FO R M AT I O N
GOVERNMENT &
PRIVATE SECTOR
SERVICE PROVIDERS
TECHNOLOGY
IT for Agriculture Development :
Matching Service Providers with Rural User Groups
AGRICULTURE
USER GROUPS
UnEmployed
Farmers
Fishermen
Agriculture
Workforce
Traders
Livestock
Herders
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:
Procurement Price:
Rs 3 (USD .7) per
Kilogram
Rs 5.50 (USD .12) per
Kilogram
Stock Arrived: 1200
Bags (15 Flowers/Bag)
Stock Arrived: 45
Tonness
MALAYSIA:
E-Flood Information DID (JPS) Selangor State
http://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?
Leave me a message
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
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, Malaysia
PHONE: 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?
O O
i
Okay, let me
explain
what that
means?
Case A: pre-Information Technology Situation
V= Value of Service being derived by the Agriculture User: U
A
B
U1
U2
C
U4
U3
V3D
D
U5
AGRICULTURE USERS (5)
SERVICES (A, B, C, D)
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
G
U6
U8
A
B
U1
U7
C
E
U2
U3
U4
F
D
U5
AGRICULTURE USERS (8)
SERVICES (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
New Public Value = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5 +….. + UiVj
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
Be Innovative, think Differently with IT as it can make a
meaningful difference in the Agriculture Sector!
THANK
YOU
VIKAS NATH
Manager, global public goods Network, UNDP
Founder: www.DigitalGovernance.org and www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative
http://www.VikasNath.org
http://www.DigitalGovernance.org
http://www.DevNetJobs.org
Email: Vikas@DigitalGovernance.org Vikas.nath@gmail.com