The role of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Agricultural Transformation:

Experience of Biovision Farmer Communication Programme in Kenya

National Stakeholders’ Workshop on EOA in Nigeria19-20 JUNE, 2012. University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Mr. Shiraku, Hudson WerehProject Assist; Biovision Farmer Communication Programme

ICT (Information & Communication Technology /Technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, mobile phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and etc, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning/eLearning.

What is ICT?

A simpler way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individuals, businesses and organizations use information. -ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form.

……ICT continued

Over the last 10 - 15 years, ICT has changed the way the world works, plays, communicates, shops, does politics and even dates. Many of these changes are seen the world over, some are restricted to more advanced countries.

These changes are so pervasive and widespread that it is hard to remember what the world was like without them.

The power of ICT

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ICTs are being used to spread locally generated and locally relevant educational and health information; eleaning and diagnosis of diseases

Education and Health :

The use of ICTs has reduced the cost of running a business and, in some cases, it is even enabling users to start one.

Entrepreneurship and Job Search

The use of ICTs has enable people to act together more efficiently to pursue shared objectives by promoting cooperation among social networks – e.g. in the cases of N. African and Middle East political turmoil

Social Capital and Social Cohesion:

The Nairobi declaration on agricultural extension & advisory services, Nov 2011

The need for enhanced use of ICT both old and new, and engagement of the media in expanding the reach and impact of extension and advisory services.

ICT in Agriculture

Entry points for ICT in Agriculture

•Enhancing Agricultural Production

•Improving Markets

•Building Farmer Capacities

•Engaging the youth in agriculture

Enhancing Agricultural Production• Intervention; Increasing efficiency,

productivity and sustainability of small scale farms.

• How; information about pest and disease control, especially early warning systems, new varieties, new ways to optimize production and regulations for quality control

Improving Markets

• Intervention; better of markets resulting from informed decisions about future crops and commodities and best time and place to sell and buy goods

• up-to-date market information on; prices for commodities, inputs and consumer trends

Capacity Building• Strengthen capacities and better representation

of their constituencies when negotiating input and output prices, land claims, resource rights and infrastructure projects.

• Reduce social isolation, widen the perspective of local communities in terms of national or global developments, open up new business opportunities and allow easier contact with friends and relatives

Impacts of ICT interventions in Agriculture

ICT in the context of FCP

• The Biovision Farmer Communication Programme (FCP) has already embraced and integrated the use of ICT in its projects.

• FCP is supported by Biovision Africa Trust, International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and Biovision Foundation of Switzerland

Infonet-Biovision

www.infonet-biovision.org

Print: The Organic Farmer (TOF) Magazine

Radio: TOF Radio

Started in 2008, TOF radio is a weekly radio show broadcasted on the national Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

(KBC) Kiswahili… Service (every Thursday from 8.15 to 8.30 pm)

Radio Milele (every Tuesday from 8.30 to 8.45 pm).

Farmer learning resource centres / i-TOF Centres:

This consists of rural based centres managed by Community Information Workers equipped with facilitation skills to train farmers and also to enable… them to access information through multimedia equipment, particularly desktop computers and OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) and other ICTs.

Rural telecenter operators are trained to use the platform, which includes information on farming technology, new varieties, disease prevention, input information, and best practices.

Interfaces to mobile phones and call centres – ASK TOF

A service that enables farmers, extension service providers and others in need of our information to ask and get their questions answered

Conditions for a conducive enabling environment

• Consideration of people’s needs and conditions

• Need for relevant agricultural Information as per the people’s needs.

• Timely information in relevant formats – language, print, softcopy etc

• Institution and human capacity to link rural communities to information sources and support institutions

• Connectivity (Internet)

ICT is a critical catalyst to accelerated agricultural development.

There is currently a revolution in the ICT industry that is dramatically changing the way people understand and use ICT tools

across different sectors.

It is going to be an entire paradigm shift.

Conclusion

In view of the huge potential exhibited by the above few examples; what can ICT do if

CORRECTLY used in the context of Agriculture, if not creating WIN:WIN:WIN situation and

opportunities for Farmers, Traders and Consumers across the Value Chain?

It’s up to us to examine and determine the relevant entry points for ICT.

Thank youfor Listening