Telecentres & ICT Needs of Farmers in the Caribbean

1. Telecentres & ICT Needs of Farmers in the Caribbean By: Ms. Keeley Holder Caribbean Farmers Network April 28th, 2011

2. Caribbean Farmers Network • Over 500,000 Farmers • 13 Countries • Unifying Network • Active Communication Channels • A Culture of Sharing & Capacity Building • A Culture of Youth Succession • A Culture of ACTION

3. Connecting 500,000 Farmers In 13 Countries,A Logistical Nightmare

4. Connecting CaFAN

5. Communicating Between Countries • Email • Internet Telephony • Skype • Internet Chat: e.g. Google talk, MSN Messenger, Yahoo messenger • Video Conferencing w/ specialised software • Social networks e.g. facebook, twitter • Mobile • Calls • SMS • Smart phone connectivity • Mobile Chats e.g. BBM, Whats App • Social networks e.g. facebook, twitter

6. Communicating Within Countries • Email • Usage varies with access, age, location, education • Mobile • Digicel closed group • Clustering in Grenada • SMS Bulk Messaging • Barbados ‘Land for the Landless’ farmers

7. Internet Penetration Source: Internet World Stats, 2009/2010 Not a CaFAN country

8. Mobile Phone Penetration • Caribbean has one of the highest levels of mobile phone penetration in the world • 80% in early 2009 • Meteoric rise in popularity of smart phones e.g. Blackberry, iPhone, Android OS mobile devices • Mobile revolution presents a tremendous opportunity for the development of Caribbean Apps • Most mobile networks in the Caribbean still run the old GPRS/EDGE technology • Difficult for consumers to experience / appreciate the full value of mobile web, particular audio & video streaming

9. How Do We Reduce Transaction Costs of Information-Intensive Activities?

10. Information-Driven Agriculture • Effectively using ICT tools in planning, decision making, operational activities & marketing • Strategic growth & development • Keeping abreast of technological advances • Investing in research & development • Optimisation of processes • Standardisation • Logistics • Technology adaptation & innovation

11. CaFAN’s ICT Needs • Farmer Organisation Level • There is a great need to • Inform, • Educate and • Train farmers • Must reach members regularly • Must present information in farmer-friendly manner • Visually stimulating • Ease of assimilation • Allow farmers to provide feedback

12. CaFAN’s ICT Needs • Farmer Level • There is a great need to learn, adjust and adapt • Industry playing ‘catch up’ • Change is hardest process to manage • Constant need for accurate information • Market information & intelligence, Agro-meteorology reports, Disease & pest profile updates, • Need to solve farm problems • Farmers want to provide information • Want to be able to receive useful, practical answers • Web-based extension service • Need to understand how to receive information

13. Factors Affecting Usage • What determines how much a farmer will actually use computers & ICTs? • Issues that reduce computer use: • Age • Average age of Caribbean farmer 50-60 yrs • Views on Management • Generally authoritarian • Complexity of Farm • Availability of Information • Personality and Approach to Learning • Degree of External Support • Network • Time • Experience

14. Issues Affecting Usage • Helping farmers learn how to commit time to ICT use • Must be incorporated into daily business for impact • Learn how to set boundaries on time and usage • Privacy & ICTs • Teaching how to use device(s) ≠ maximising usage • Teach HOW to search • Which media are better for which messages? • Using multiple browser windows to reduce time wastage • ICT etiquette • Email, Telephony, Voice mail, Social Networking • Understanding emotion & writing with ICTs • E.g. ALL CAPS INDICATE SHOUTING • Understanding ICT jargon • E.g. brb, ppl, bb, rofl, • Organising files, contacts at intervals as we accumulate information • Transferring information without losing the message

15. ICTs in Marketing • Mobile Apps • Daily/Weekly market information delivered to farmer • Fresh produce consumer guide delivered to consumer • RFIDs (Radio Frequency IDentification) • ‘Intelligent’ bar codes, replacing Universal Product Codes • Fresh produce industry being asked to conform to standards of consumer packaged goods • Stores can see how quickly products leave the shelves and who's buying them • Used to track and trace produce/person’s movements

16. ICTs in Production Factors Affecting Yield: Grey (Controllable), White (Not Controllable)

17. ICTs in Production • Geographic Information System & GPS • Estimates crop yield & predicts quality of produce before harvest • Analyses all soils on island & approximates the volume of water held in root zone that can be used by crop plants • Guide in water, nutrient management • Pesticide companies use data to study pest migration trends & pesticide applications • Fertilizer company can better anticipate how much fertilizer will be needed in specific regions & guide growers accordingly • Insurance companies use it to estimate crop losses & offer insurance options to growers • Information used to improve crop management • Growers use data to discuss business strategies & crop management programs with business advisors

18. ICTs in Production • Individual Information Requirements • Web-based extension • Weather/climate forecasts • Irrigation scheduling system • Fertilizer management system • Pest management • Post-harvest management

19. ICTs in Farm Administration • Decision Making • Majority of farm management is planning • Agro-meteorology & market intelligence tools used to select crops & varieties • Fertilizer management determined by crop growth curves • Exact water needs met by calculating soil water availability & evapo-transpiration • Crop pest profiles used to plan pest management strategies

20. The Future • TeleCentres • High Connectivity, YES! • Portable ICTs • Mobile Phone Apps • Text, images, video? • E-readers • Text, images • Graphic tablets • Text, images, video • Portable ICT Benefits • On demand • Easily updated • Storage capacity • Appeals to kinesthetic people • Geographic Information Systems

21. Thank You