mobile technology enabled agro-advisory
TRANSCRIPT
Agro-information @ the farm gate
Sharbendu BanerjeeCABI Centenary Celebration Workshop, New Delhi, India
November 29th 2010
Losing food to pests and diseases
● 40% of the food we grow is lost to pests and diseases● India may lose 3.9 million tonnes of wheat yield due to
climate change by 2020 ● Rice blast disease results in losses up to 30% every
year ● For every 1% reduction in losses we could feed 25
million more people
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”
Benjamin Franklin
Information is needed @ the farm gate
1. Portal web-sites • accessed through village kiosks • internet access required • information and Q&A services • operated by social workers or kiosk entrepreneurs• SMS and voice messages services (directory)
2. Call centers (Farmers’ Helpline)• accessed through mobiles or telephone land lines • Information & Q&A services• SMSs or voice messages • operated through employed operators
3. Mobile applications • Q&A serviced and market information• data exchange and transactions (key based)• IVR technology (voice and data)• operated by users themselves• iconic voice messages• Value Added Services
Information delivery models @ the farm gate
Can mobile revolutionise Indian Agriculture?
the possibilities are unlimited!
IFFCO CABI experience ● Over 5.5 million farmers in 18 states of India
have subscribed to date● Each farmer daily gets 5 local language voice
messages on crop protection, agronomy, animal husbandry etc
● So far delivered 100,000 Voice Messages and answered 110,000 farmers’ queries
What CABI is doing● Providing scientific backstopping service to the
local experts● Content development & Knowledge Management● Information Quality Assurance● Developing Special Tools like “Crop Health
Diagnosis Kit”
Study of 3000 users by TNS Consultant2010
Comparing IKSL with Other Sources of Information
22.7
32
32.1
52.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Extension officers of line departments andbanks
Government helpline
Agricultural related programs on TV/ Radio
Not using any other source
Percent
Better 75%
Same 25%
*Multiple responses possible, percents do not necessarily add to 100.
Usefulness of IKSL Compared to other sources
Using other sources of information*
And this is what we have learnt
Our vision: Single-window information solutions for Farmers
By 2015, we must ensure food for her…
Thank you