Stepman FARA CIRAD 2010
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The document analyzes 60 farmer advisory services in Africa that use ICT. It divides the projects into 4 categories based on the technology used: voice, radio, mobile phones, and e-learning. The most common technologies were internet, radio, and mobile phones. The projects varied in duration, scale, and type of organization implementing them. SMS services were popular but had limitations. Voice and video solutions provided benefits but also had costs. The most successful SMS service was Esoko, while Infonet-Biovision used pictures to overcome constraints of text. Barriers to scaling up the services included attracting private investment and developing appropriate technologies for local contexts.
Stepman FARA CIRAD 2010
- 1. Innovative Farmer Advisory Services using ICTs François STEPMAN Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa Ghana Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 2. Motivation, problem area • The past 10 years have seen remarkable progress in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in African agriculture, especially f f ilit ti f Af i i lt i ll for facilitating farmers’ access ’ to market information. • The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) analyzed 60 farmer advisory services in Africa that are currently being designed, currently operating or recently terminated. terminated • The countries which are represented are Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Egypt; Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Malawi; gyp p y Mali; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe and 10 projects operating in more than 3 countries countries. Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 3. Research approach, Methodology The projects have been divided into four categories: 1. VOICE INFORMATION DELIVERY SERVICES 2. RADIO: DIAL-UP (AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION ON DEMAND) AND REGULAR RADIO BROADCASTS 3. EXTENSION SERVICES BASED ON MOBILE PHONE AND DATABASE MONITORING 4. E-LEARNING FOR BASIC SKILLS, AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND VIDEO BASED APPROACHES VIDEO-BASED Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 4. Major Outcomes/Results (1) Figure 1: Duration of the Figure 2: Scale of the Projects Projects Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 5. Major Outcomes/Results (2) Technology Used Number of Projects Internet 47 Radio 17 Television 2 CD-Rom/video/DVD 6 Mobile phone 22 IVR 4 SMS 16 Telephone (call in) (call-in) 4 Dial-Up Radio 1 GIS 1 Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 6. Major Outcomes/Results (3) Type of Project Project Organization Implementer Partner/Funder International 11 39 Organization Local/National NGO 25 6 Government 9 6 Department/Agency National Agricultural 4 3 Research Centre Private Company 3 10 Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 7. Written/Text-based Projects Benefits Costs • Provides high number of useful resources • Requires a basic level of literacy Web-based solutions • Can provide pictorial illustrations Web-based solutions • Can provide lengthy, detailed explanations • Entails ploughing through many publications SMS • Often unreliable internet connectivity y • Can be Customised for language • Limited access to and ability to use • Cell phone use rapidly expanding throughout the continent computers among many rural populations • Often not updated regularly p g y SMS • Contains only a small amount of information Zambian National Farmers’ Union SMS Service, IFAD Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 8. Voice-based Projects Benefits Costs • Can be easily customised for language • Readily accessible and easy to use IVR • Costly to develop IVR • Complicated: requires machines to • Can provide ready researched and produce good speech synthesis prepared answers for commonly asked questions • Often does not provide detailed info such as pictorial illustrations Video-based solutions • Can provide demonstrations Video-based solutions Call Centres • Costly to p y produce • C receive f db k f Can i feedback from professionals f i l immediately • Many lack the equipment to view the info Call Centres • Call congestion Allo Ingenier Call Centre, Cameroon • Often requires follow-up if info is not currently available Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 9. Most successful short message service (SMS) Esoko (Tradenet) • Any individual, business or producers group can set up on Esoko • Works with web and mobile devices • Operating in 10 countries • Offers 4 main services ▫ Live market feeds using SMS ▫ Direct SMS marketing ▫ Scout polling p g ▫ Online profiling and marketing Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 10. Overcoming written text with pictures Infonet-Biovision Infonet Biovision • Developed by the Swiss Biovision Foundation • Web-based service promoting organic farming • Attempts to overcome constraints Att t t t i t of written work through pictorial illustrations • Rollover function is implemented on the pictures so information pops up when the cursor is moved over a photo Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 11. Voice solutions combined to SMS Freedom Fone National Farmers Information Service (NAFIS) Collecting and Exchange of Local Agricultural Content g ( (CELAC - Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 12. Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 13. Monthly Call Status of Lifelines Service 9000 8000 7998 7969 7615 7492 7000 7076 7038 6734 6718 6386 6000 No. of Calls 6 5000 4000 4214 802 38 3000 3007 2661 2571 2000 2342 2251 1978 1000 94 119 775 0 137 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 06 06 06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 08 08 08 Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 14. LifeLines Agriculture – Project Updates Types of Queries Received: Jan’08 – Mar’08 10000 8863 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 3731 4000 2950 3000 2531 2000 743 922 1000 28 55 316 168 223 131 144 291 16 10 23 0 B io - F u e l P la n t a t io n P e n o lo g y M e d ic in a l R e la t e d A n im a l H e a lt h P r o d u c t io n & A p ic u lt u r e A g ro n o m y S o i l S c e in c e F lo r ic u lt u r e H o r t ic u lt u r e S p ic e s D a ir y S c ie n c e F is h e r y O t h e rs F o re s t ry C ro p s P la n t P la n t C ro p s A n im a l o Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 15. January'08 Febuary'08 March'08 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 HP UP MP HR HP UP MP HR HP UP MP HR HP UP MP HR Variety & Cultivation Disease & insect control Marketing Harvesting, Processing & Others Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 16. Video solutions: futuristic mobile? Africa Rice Centre (WARDA): Enhanced rural learning systems New videos developed according to ZIZO approach : Land preparation and water management Rice seed bed preparation Rice transplanting Ri t l ti Rice Ri weed management d Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 17. Conclusion and outlook (1) Barriers to Up-scaling • Difficult to attract the private sector to invest • Difficult to address local needs • Difficult to develop appropriate info dissemination technology for each context • Difficult to gain consensus about the content from the many competing stakeholder interests • New projects influenced by availability/functioning of input supply, credit systems, l d t i t l dit t land-tenure arrangements, organization of marketing, distribution of benefits, etc Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 18. Conclusion and outlook (2) • Create different platforms to respond to different information needs •DDevelop a model t i l l d l to implement f t farmers’ f db k ’ feedback • Reconcile servicing the community (for free) and sustainable business model (for p ( profit) ) • Create Public Private Partnerships (eg. mobile phone operators) • Public sector should focus on content creation and repackaging • Private sector to focus on technological upgrades • Civil society to develop active utilizers constituency and community knowledge management, rather than direct interventions and implementations Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
- 19. Conclusion and outlook (end) Maputo, 2 April 2009 Session II (4.00p – 5.00p): Application Agriculture W3C workshop 2009 Copyright 2009 Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa