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