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7.8 PROGRAMME C3: PROMOTING INTEGRATED ADOPTION OF ICTs IN AGRICULTURE
THROUGH COLLABORATIVE WORKING
Programme Context and Overview
Significant ICT initiatives have been taken up in the sector. However, there are two main problems
hampering increased adoption and usage of ICT: proper institutional mechanisms with which to review,
monitor and evaluate the efficacy of ICT initiatives and the need for a sector-wide ICT adoption plan
that would form the basis of a well-coordinated ICT uptake.
Although the Ministry of Agriculture is one of the first departments to come up with a strategic plan, the
implementation remained largely restricted to office administration systems and the like at the level of
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the Ministries and the Secretariats. Aspects of culture and ownership structure are attributed for these.
The usage of the Internet as a tool with which to bring about knowledge sharing and as an enabler of
innovation has not been fully exploited either.
Interventions, then, in the Agriculture sector must lead to better coordination, collaboration and
planning, enhanced levels of efficiency and effectiveness in internal administrative systems, improved
access to information and knowledge exchange and substantively adding to decision-making capability
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through effective use of GIS .
The following constitute the main recommendations.
The need for a comprehensive eAgriculture Action Plan
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There needs to be a comprehensive eAgriculture Action Plan which would focus on at least the
following
• Comprehensive Business Process Re-engineering of parastatal organisations involved in
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the sector .
• Preparation of a complete geo-database invoking all necessary layers and their associated
attributes; this geodatabase would be shared for deployment and usage with the respective bodies in
their solutions.
• Installation of an institutional framework that would help operationalise the ICT initiatives
recommended in the plan and also facilitate the adoption of further enhancements
required.
• Identification of capacity building initiatives that need to be taken up to advance usage of ICT.
• Development of a comprehensive eAgriculture portal with selective access to stakeholders
including farmers, corporates, farmers’ and fishermen associations, agricultural forums, ministries
and departments, clubs and associations, policy planers and other agriculture enthusiasts.
• Development and replication of early-warning systems.
• Upgradation of the eAgriculture portal into a comprehensive GIS-based Mauritius Agriculture
Resource Information System (MAGRIS).
• Possible partnerships between public and private for collaboration on different initiatives that could
be taken up in the sector.
• A comprehensive outcome-based monitoring and evaluation process for recommended initiatives
• Thematic interaction forums for agriculture stakeholders.
• GIS-aided Decision Support Systems for government policy planners.
The above initiative needs to get kick started through detailed conceptualisation following the points
mentioned above as to the technology solutions that need to be adopted, the stakeholders that need
to be brought on board with MoUs to bind them into participation in a win-win collaboration model,
Horizontal Transfer of Indigenous Solutions to other countries of the region
A concerted effort needs to be made to investigate the possibility of deployment of solutions for
Agriculture in other countries of the region under a larger government-to-government understanding.
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Geographical Information System covers a genre of ICT applications and tools that facilitate analysis and decision-making through visually-
aided linkage of geographical entities with their associated attribute data.
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It may be noted that internal computerisation and re-engineering of the Ministry is not included within the scope and actually falls within the
later programme “Accelerated eGovernment through Process Re-engineering and Coordinated Planning”.
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Ministries and departments are all covered under the Programme A1 as part of the eGovernance Master Plan exercise.

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This initiative has been covered in greater detail under the programme “Building Leadership
Competencies in ICT”.
The need for Capacit y Building
Undertaking ICT capacity building initiatives wherever appropriate, particularly for those who opt for
the Voluntary Retirement Schemes in the sugar sector, so that they could be gainfully re-deployed
elsewhere.
Figure 14 Mauritius Agricultural Resource Information System
MAURITIUS AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM (MAGRIS)
Socially desirable, technologically appropriate, economically viable, and ecologically sound pattern of
resource use to promote sustainable development in agriculture can be addressed through the development
of a comprehensive Mauritius Agriculture Resource Information Systems (MAGRIS) that includes aspects of
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soil, water, livestock, plant and seed, fisheries, forest, climate, rainfall, human resources, capital, fodder, land
owners’ data, environment data, socio-economic and infrastructure data, and production inputs resources.
The development of MAGRIS has the potential to lead to
• Utilisation of ICT to advance the needs of agricultural planning and management.
• Increasing the farmer’s production through enhanced yields.
• Help farmers maximise profits by buying inputs cheaply and efficiently and then marketing product at
best prices.
• Focus on ICTs for farmers but with support from Researchers, Industry, Students and Extension.
• Utilise ICT solutions to deliver timely information during the growing season, bring about knowledge sharing
of research activities, agro-industry based sharing of knowledge, market agricultural produces and
products , undertake training and extension activities.
Outcomes resultant on the eAgriculture Action Plan include
• increased coordinated and collaborative working leading to better resource utilisation and
cost savings.
• enhanced availability of timely information for decision-making to the stakeholders ranging from
the farmer to the policy planner.
• better land area utilisation, crop planning, and increased revenue through appropriate matchmaking.
• informed decision-making from policy makers with easy and continued access to relevant data.
Programme Strategic Objectives
• to arrive at an overall strategic approach for ICT adoption in the Mauritius agriculture sector,
including the preparation of a comprehensive eAgriculture Action Plan.
• to develop a Mauritius eAgriculture portal that serves as a true collaborative platform that brings
together diverse stakeholders and helps present a unified window for role-based access to
agricultural information and services.
• to undertake awareness and sensitisation campaigns to convey benefits that could be appropriated
of ICTs by the stakeholders in the sector in helping them extract better benefits from operations in
the sector.
• to ensure that conducive conditions are provided to bring about a more uniform spread in ICT
adoption across locations and stakeholders of varying financial strength.
• to harness ICT as a tool with which to bring about greater knowledge sharing and facilitating
innovation amongst agriculture practitioners in Mauritius.
• to set up proper institutional mechanisms with which to review, monitor and evaluate the efficacy of ICT
initiatives in the sector and take appropriate actions.
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• to undertake the preparation of a complete geo-database invoking all necessary layers with their
required attributes; this geodatabase would be shared for deployment and usage with the
respective bodies in their ICT solutions.

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• to undertake the development and replication of early-warning systems, including systems that
help prepare for pre-emptive and rehabilitative treatments.
• to take up the development of a comprehensive GIS-based Mauritius Agriculture Resource Information
System that would serve as a tool to facilitate better decision-making among agricultural practitioners.
Projects and Outcomes
Table 25 C3- Projects and
Outcomes
Project
PROJECTS ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES
CATALYSE
Code
• Conducting a meeting with all stakeholders
• Specification of the overall requirements in the
eAgriculture system • eAgriculture
• Preparation of a RFP to invite consultancy for the Action Plan
preparation of the eAgriculture Plan of Action • Request for
• Invite and award bids Proposal for
• Commissioning the consultancy exercise eAgriculture
• Recommendations in the draft eAgriculture Action Action Plan
Plan including • Mauritius
o Specifications for an eAgriculture portal for Agricultural
all stakeholders Resource
o Specifications for exploiting emerging Information
technologies in a cost-effective manner System
o Specifications for thematic interaction forums • Request for
to undertake knowledge sharing and learning Proposal for the
Design and o Recommendations and specification for appropriate development and
Implementation Business Intelligence solutions implementation of
C3P1 of an o Specification for a modus operandi on which the eAgriculture
eAgriculture suggested solutions would work (organisation System
Action Plan design etc) • The plan will
o Specification for Early-Warning and Post-Disaster facilitate
Systems collaborative
o Specification for a GIS-enabled Decision Support working, ready
System for use of policy planners availability of
relevant
o Specifications for a larger Mauritius
information for
Agricultural Resource Information System
decision making
(MAGRIS) (an enhanced form of the
at all levels, and
eAgriculture portal)
higher levels of
o Specifications for internal systems to deployed internal
for bodies efficiencies and
o Preparation of RFP for development and
effectiveness
implementation of the eAgriculture solutions
o Recommendations on phases in which
this exercise needs to be taken up
• Preparation and submission of the eAgriculture Action
Plan
• Agree on the RFP based on the phase-wise
implementation adoption approach recommended
Development,
• Invite and award Bids
testing,
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• Commission the development exercise (Phase I)
implementation Increased adoption
C3P2 • Development and implementation of the eAgriculture
and roll-out of of ICT
portal
eAgriculture
solutions • Implement the operational requirements
recommended
• Pilot Testing and Roll Out

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Project
PROJECTS ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES
Code
Awareness and • Enhanced ICT
• Usage of community portal, referred to under A3
Capacity adoption rates
C3P3 • Usage of other eServices launched by the GoM
Building • Enhanced usage
initiatives • Usage of eAgriculture portal after its launch
rates
Programme Governance Framework
A National eAgriculture Committee chaired by the Ministry of Agro-industries and Fisheries and including
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representatives from MITT, EGC, Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture, and representatives of public sector
and private sector stakeholders should be set up to drive and oversee the implementation and
monitoring of the programme closely.
Project Priority
Table 26 C3-Project Ownership and
Priorities
Project
PROJECTS Owner HIGH MEDIUM LOW
Code
Design and Implementation of an eAgriculture Action 64
C3P1 MoAF
Plan
Development, testing, implementation and roll-out of
C3P2 MoAF
the eAgriculture solutions
C3P3 Awareness and Capacity Building initiatives MoAF
Programme Monitoring Indicators and Milestones
Table 27 C3- Project Indicators and
Milestones
No Parameter Indicator(s)/ Milestone(s)
• Timely completion of the eAgriculture Action Plan
Design and Implementation • Scope of the eAgriculture Action Plan
C3P1 of an eAgriculture Action • Stakeholder groups represented in the exercise
Plan • Area and stakeholder coverage of the eAgriculture Action Plan
discussions and implementation
• Number of hits on the eAgriculture portal
• Number of thematic forums established
Development, testing, • Number of farmers reporting to have benefited from the
C3P2 implementation and roll-out eAgriculture network
of the eAgriculture solutions • Area of land covered in the geo-database
• Number of farmers reporting with an adverse feedback on the
facility made available through the eAgriculture network
• Number of people attending the eAgriculture awareness
building and capacity building sessions
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Awareness and capacity • Capacity Building Workshops to enable stakeholders to make
C3P3
Building initiatives use of ICT in the agriculture sector
• Awareness building sessions to enhance ICT adoption among
stakeholder groups of the agriculture sector
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Ministry of Agro-industries and Fisheries