V i k a s N a t h .

org
Founder:
www.DigitalGovernance.org Initiative
www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative

Manager, global public goods Network, UNDP, Geneva

ICT for Agriculture Development:

Overview of Agriculture IT Models
and
some International Perspectives

WITFOR World IT Forum

31 August 2005, Gaborone, Botswana 2005

WHO NEEDS ICT FOR AGRICULTURE

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Govt.
Agriculture
Dept.

Traders

Farmers
AGRICULTURE
WORKFORCE
Fishermen
Livestock
Herders

Agriculture
Extensionists

Livestock
Farms

A PROFILE OF
THE
AGRICULTURE
GROUP

THE 3 MAIN AREAS WHERE Information Technology

COULD IMPACT AGRICULTURE:
I.

providing users Access to Communication Facilities:

phone, internet, email, fax, mobile phone. for getting
market prices, information on upcoming pest and
locust attacks, information on weather/ rain patterns.

I.

providing Interactive Demand Based Agriculture Services:

Government Agriculture Programs and Subsidies,
Online application for loan facilities, online Trading (auction
of coffee, tea, rubber), Online Agriculture Extension and
Query Redressal, Information on Cropping Pattern and Fertilizer
use.

III.

Undertaking Automation of Key Agriculture Functions:

Digitization of Land Records, Farm Management, Milk-Fat
Measurement, Agriculture Statistics and Databases .

Agriculture
Ministry

Department of
Livestock
Development

Agriculture
Banks
Agriculture
Markets
Private
Companies

Agriculture
Extensionists

I N FO R M AT I O N

GOVERNMENT &
PRIVATE SECTOR
SERVICE PROVIDERS

TECHNOLOGY

IT for Agriculture Development :

Matching Service Providers with Rural User Groups
AGRICULTURE
USER GROUPS

UnEmployed
Farmers
Fishermen
Agriculture
Workforce
Traders

Livestock
Herders

INDIA: Oddanchatram Market

List of Commodity Prices
Date: August 30, 2005

http://www.oddanchatrammarket.com/

Banana Cauliflower Greenleaf Beans Chillies

Lablab Beetroot Chowchow Mango Bhendi
(Ladies Finger) Cluster beans Onion Bellari Onion
Coconut Pumpkin Bitter gourd Cow pea Snake
gourd Bottle gourd Drumstick Sour Orange Brinjal
Ginger Tomato

Procurement Price:

Procurement Price:

Rs 3 (USD .7) per

Kilogram

Rs 5.50 (USD .12) per

Kilogram

Stock Arrived: 1200

Bags (15 Flowers/Bag)

Stock Arrived: 45
Tonness

MALAYSIA:
E-Flood Information DID (JPS) Selangor State
http://jps.selangor.ggy.my
1.

The system integrates all hydrology data from

District DID (JPS) to the Shah Alam Hydrology
Unit automatically and in real time.

2.

It then provides real-time river monitoring to

safequard life and property, and offers flood
warnings through SMS.

3.

The project simplifies government agency

flood rescue operations.

INDIA: Fish Shoal Movements in the Indian Ocean

INDIA:
Digitized Land
Record Maps.
This is a Legal
Document under the
Digital Document Act
and can be used by
farmers for getting
loans from financial
institutions.
Supportive IT Laws can
vastly enhance the utility
of IT Projects

Indonesia: Want to buy a LIVE SHEEP?

Leave me a message
Price Terms:

FOB

Specifications:
For sale jamnapari goats ex Indonesia. Quality breeders
between 6 and 9 months old. Able to supply up to 450 goats
per month.
Berat LahirBerat Dewasa
Jantan 3 - 4 kg
Jantan 68 - 91 kg
Betina 3-4 kg
Betina 36-63 skg
Company Name:

Medanova Commodities Sdn Bhd

Contact Person:

Mr Rajalingam Theva Raj

ADDRESS: 6th Floor, Suite 18, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Malaysia,
Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia, Malaysia
PHONE: 60 3 80762836

The FOCAL Point of IT for Development

Services should be:
Increasing the Public Value of
Services being offered by Information
Technology to the Farming Community?
What
Whatdo
doyou
youmean
meanby
by
PUBLIC
PUBLICVALUE
VALUEof
of
Services?
Services?

O O
O O
i
i

Okay,
Okay,let
letme
me
explain
explain
what
whatthat
that
means?
means?

Case A: pre-Information Technology Situation

V= Value of Service being derived by the Agriculture User: U

U1
U2

1A

V 1B

V 2C

U4

V4D

U3
V3D
U5

AGRICULTURE USERS (5)

D
V 5D

SERVICES (A, B, C, D)

Total Public Value of Services derived = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5

3 WAYS to increase PUBLIC VALUE OF SERVICES:

Bring NEW USERS under the reach of the Information Technology

Provide NEW SERVICES to Agriculture Workforce / Users

Enhance the QUALITY OF EXISTING SERVICES being offered so

that users derive greater Value from the same service.
THE SITUATION WILL
THEN CHANGE..

Case B: post-Information Technology Situation

G
U6

U8

U1

U7

C
E

U2
U3

U4

F
D

U5

AGRICULTURE USERS (8)

SERVICES (A,

B, C, D, E, F, G)

New Public Value = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5 +.. + UiVj

Intelligent IT in Agriculture Projects:

Are key information needs of the Disadvantaged Groups being met?

Has the weakest link in information flow: from information source to

the disadvantaged groups been corrected?
For instance where local government offices do not have email connectivity,
providing online services to the local community will not be useful.

Are we supporting existing institutions and ongoing efforts aimed

towards growth and development, or are we opposing them?
Focus should be on training Agricultural Extensionists to allow them to use IT in their
tasks and to reach out to more farming community

Be Innovative, think Differently with IT as it can make a

meaningful difference in the Agriculture Sector!

THANK
YOU
VIKAS NATH
Manager, global public goods Network, UNDP
Founder: www.DigitalGovernance.org and www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative

http://www.VikasNath.org
http://www.DigitalGovernance.org
http://www.DevNetJobs.org
Email:

Vikas@DigitalGovernance.org Vikas.nath@gmail.com