Emerging Opportunities for ICT Applications in Agriculture

1. Emerging Opportunities for ICT Applications in Agriculture A presentation at DA-IICT Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat On 30th October 2004 by Ajit Maru

2. Discussion points • Major Streams of ICT Applications • Automation • Decision Support • Opportunities • Constraints • Conclusions

3. ICTs embedded in innovations that transform and/or automate Agricultural Input, Throughput, Output or Markets To Improve Productivity Seed Soil Water Labor Nutrient Disease Management Agricultural Commodity Cultivation Profit Input Throughput Output Market ICTs used for Information, Knowledge and Skills Transfer, Learning, Decision Support And Negotiation for Productivity Improvement Using ICTs in Agriculture

4. New Actors • Input suppliers • Service Providers • Banks and Financial Institutions • Farmers and Farmer Organizations • NGOs and Community Based Organizations • Government Organizations • Private-for-Profit Organizations • Regulatory Authorities • Agricultural Innovation System • Markets • Consumer Bodies

5. Opportunities • Main Categories • Providing and Managing Rural Information and Knowledge Services • Information based Entrepreneurship • Rural ICT Applications Development and Implementation • ICT Innovation and Research

6. A Generic Framework to enable ICT use for Small Farmers Information And Knowledge Intermediaries Capacity development to access and use Information and knowledge Advocacy and New Technologies for enabling access to information In Agricultural and Rural Communities Radio TV Cellular Telephones Websites E-Mail lists Clients And User Communities Information “Bus” Information Platform Capacity development to enable learning in communities ARD “Information” Organization “Integrating” ICM and ICT in work and Business process of ARD organizations through appropriate policies, strategies, resources allocation, capacity development, organizational structures and processes

7. Providing and Managing Rural Information and Knowledge Services • “Information” Organizations • Managing Information Processes • Capacity Development • “Information” Platforms • Developing and Managing Information platforms • Community Radio and Television • Web Sites • Offline Multimedia • Cellular Telephony • Mixed Media

8. Providing and Managing Rural Information and Knowledge Services • Information Bus • Infrastructure Support to Interfacing rural users to ICT • Information and Knowledge Intermediaries • Information Processing and Communication • Capacity Development • Community Mobilization • Supporting User Communities • Developing and Managing Rural Information Networks and Centers • Networks of Agri-clinics • Networks of Rural Information Kiosks and Access Points • Rural Services Call Centers and Help Desks

9. Information based Entrepreneurship • Information Organizations • Rural Information Content Providers • Market Information • Outreach/Extension Information • Agricultural Technology Information • Agricultural Services Yellow Pages • Information Platforms Development and Services • Information Bus • Rural Internet/Communications Services Providers and Support • Information and Knowledge Intermediaries • Agricultural and Agricultural Engineering Consultancy especially around niche commodities • Capacity Development

10. Information based Entrepreneurship • User Community • Value added Information Kiosks • Value added Marketing Services • Input Suppliers • Commodity Marketing • Multi-Stakeholder Representative • Farm Automation Consultants • Capacity Development • Enabling Community Mobilization and Multi-Stakeholder Negotiations as consultant/actor

11. Rural ICT Applications Development and Implementation • Information Organization • Developing, Implementing and Maintaining Information Systems • Scientific and Technical Information Systems • Management Information Systems for Agricultural Organization • Decision Support Systems for Agricultural Organizations • Market Information Systems • Farm Management Information Systems • GIS, Crop and Agricultural Systems Models, Knowledge Based Systems • Information Platforms • Developing and Maintaining Information Platforms related to agricultural and rural development • Community Radio and TV • Websites • Cellular Telephony • Directories, Catalogues and Indexes • Yellow Pages for Technologies, Institutions, Experts • Databases and Information repositories

12. Rural ICT Applications Development and Implementation • User Community • Shared Information Spaces Application Software • Messaging • Community of Practices • Knowledge Bases

13. ICT Innovation and Research • Systems Research • ICT Application in Agriculture and Rural Development • GIS • Models • Knowledge Based Systems • Precision Agriculture • Farm Automation

14. ICT Innovation and Research • Sociological Research • Rural Communications and Extension • Community Mobilization • Rural Information Systems Audit and Impact Assessment

15. The Rural ICT Hype Cycle Peak of Inflated Expectations Plateau of Productivity Visibility Slope of Enlightenment Trough of Disillusionment Technology Trigger Maturity Constraints

16. Conclusions • Opportunities exist • Need for building: • Awareness among Actors • Competence • Innovativeness • Greater self confidence • Entrepreneurship

17. Thank you