Emerging Voices in Ict and Agriculture

Emerging voices
in ICT and Agriculture
Voix nouvelles
des TIC et de lagriculture
Published by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)
CTA, 2013
About CTA
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution of the African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food and nutritional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource management in ACP countries. It provides
access to information and knowledge, facilitates policy dialogue and strengthens the capacity of agricultural and
rural development institutions and communities. CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and
is funded by the EU.
For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int or contact:
CTA
P.O. Box 380
6700 AJ Wageningen
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0) 317-467100
Fax: +31 (0) 317-460067
Email: cta@cta.int
ISBN 978-92-9081-525-9
Analytical synthesis: Balraj Rajkomar
Editing: Wrenmedia, Jaques Bodichon
Design & layout: Flame Design, South Africa
CTA editorial team: Ken Lohento, Giorgio Bellinzas, Jenessi Matturi
All rights reserved. All of the images, including the cover page, are the property of CTA or used with the owners
permission.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CTA would like to thank institutions members of ARDYIS Advisory Committee for their invaluable support.
African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry, & Natural Resources Education
African Youth Foundation
Caribbean Farmers Network
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network - Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
Yam-Pukri Association
Contributors
Articles compiled in this publication have been produced by the following youth:

Rebeccah Sangwani Gondwe, Malawi, Southern Africa

Aristide Z. ADAHA, Benin, West Africa
Maureen Agena, Uganda, Eastern Africa
Isaac Chanda, Zambia, Southern Africa
Riten Chand Gosai, Fiji, Pacific
Gabriel Dacko Goudjo, Cameroon, Central Africa
Tyrone Hall, Jamaica, Caribbean
Jason Haynes, St Vincent and Grenadines, Caribbean
Nawsheen Hosenally Bibi, Mauritius, Southern Africa
Itodo Samuel Anthony, Nigeria, West Africa
Lloyd Johnson Jr, Jamaica, Caribbean
Samantha Kaye-Christie, Jamaica, Caribbean
Babatound Rivaldo Alain KPADONOU, Benin, West Africa
Gerald Mangena, Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
Chris Mwangi, Kenya, Eastern Africa
Akaffou Euphrm NDEPO, Cte dIvoire, West Africa
Inoussa Traor, Burkina Faso, West Africa
Zvavanyange Raymond Erick, Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
Wilson Gitau Karuga, Kenya, East Africa
The energy of youth can spark economies The future belongs to

them and they have a clear vision of the world we need to build
together: peace, the preservation of our beautiful planet, the opportunity to make a better life.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
CONTENTS
A message from the CTA Director
Introduction
An analytical synthesis of articles
10
Winners of the Essay Contest
14
Challenges experienced in agriculture and how to use ICT to tackle them
16

Tyrone
18
Hall, Jamaica, Caribbean

Tackling Jamaicas Two Main Agricultural Plagues with ICT: Praedial Larceny and Information Asymmetries/
Poor Marketing

Samantha
Kaye-Christie, Jamaica, Caribbean
22
I
CTs - Are they really the solution to challenges faced by Hanoverian farmers?
23

Jason
19
Haynes, St Vincent and Grenadines, Caribbean
26
C
hallenges experienced in the Caribbean region related to agriculture or rural development and the use of ICTs
to address them

Nawsheen
27
Hosenally Bibi, Mauritius, Southern Africa
30

Two challenges experienced in Mauritius related to agriculture or rural development, and the use of ICTs
to address them
31
How can ICTs be used to improve access to market for agricultural products
from your country or region?

Sangwan
Rebeccah Gondwe, Malawi, Southern Africa

When the Use of ModeRn ICT becomes a requisite: The Case of Malawi

Gabriel
Dacko Goudjo, Cameroon, Central Africa

Comment les TIC peuvent-elles tre utilises pour amliorer laccs au march des produits agricoles au Cameroun?

Itodo
Samuel Anthony, Nigeria, West Africa
34
36
37
40
41
44
U
sing ICTs to Bridge the Agricultural Extension Gap and Improving Market Access for Rural Farmers in Nigeria:
A Practical Approach

Riten
45
Chand Gosai, Fiji, Pacific
48
T
he Use of Information and Communication Technology to Address Information Poverty and Reluctance of
Farmers to Commercialize in the Fiji Islands

KPADONOU
Babatound Rivaldo Alain, Benin, West Africa
Comment les TIC peuvent-elles tre utilises pour amliorer laccs au march des produits agricoles du Bnin?

Inoussa

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Traor, Burkina Faso, West Africa
Comment les TIC peuvent-elles tre utilises pour amliorer laccs au march des produits agricoles du Burkina Faso?
Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture
49
52
53
56
57

Gerald
Mangena, Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
How can ICTs be used to improve access to market for agricultural products in Zimbabwe?

Zvavanyange
Raymond Erick, Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
How can ICTs be used to improve access to market for agricultural products in Zimbabwe?

Aristide
Z. ADAHA, Benin, West Africa
Amlioration de laccs au march des produits agricoles par les TIC au Bnin

Lloyld

Wilson

Johnson Jr, Jamaica, Caribbean
Improving Market Access of Caribbean Agricultural products with Information & Communication Technologies
Gitau Karuga, Kenya, East Africa
Reclamation of the Latent-Enterprise, Thanks To ICTs
59
60
62
63
66
67
70
71
74
75
Story of a young producer or youth lIving in a rural area, who uses ICT
successfully or in an innovative way for his or her work
78

Chris
80
Mwangi, Kenya, Eastern Africa
Impacts of ICT on livelihoods: Experiences from a Kenyan rural youth

Maureen
Agena, Uganda, Eastern Africa
81
84

Increasing Rural Agricultural Productivity Through Technology : A story of a young modern fruit grower in
Apac, Northern Uganda

Isaac

Chanda, Zambia, Southern Africa
Find the young Farmer, Locating young farmers without limitations

NDEPO

85
Akaffou Euphrm, Cte dIvoire, West Africa
Lhistoire dun jeune producteur agricole vivant en milieu rural en Cte dIvoire
Shaping the future of ACP rural development using ICTs...
88
89
92
93
7|
A message from the CTA Director

Shaping the future of agriculture and rural development through ICTs
griculture in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)

countries faces many challenges. Despite their countries heavy reliance on the sector for economic growth,
food security and employment, young people perceive
agriculture as an unattractive career option.
Agriculture accounts for over 50% GDP in some countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. This,
coupled with the high level of unemployment, means
that the need to secure the continued interest of youth
in agriculture is imperative.
The majority of farmers today
are older. A research by the
Caribbean Farmers Network
(CaFAN) found that the average
age of farmers in the Caribbean
is 45 years with the majority
being over 60 years of age 1.
With a lack of youth to replace
them the future of agriculture
is uncertain. Youth unemployment is a critical problem. In
several countries the number
of young people out of work
exceeds 50%.
It is therefore evident that a well
supported agricultural sector
could present the ideal solution.
This is on the condition that the
sector is transformed in the
eyes of the younger generation. It has to become attractive, viable and offer real opportunities for income.
ICTs offer a good avenue for achieving this objective.
These technologies are reaching every socio-economic
segment, even in remote rural areas. They offer efficient tools for transforming the agriculture sector. As
its recognized that young people spearhead the development of ICT innovations, there are therefore new
|8
rationales and opportunities for linking agriculture and

youth. Moreover, in rural areas, ICTs can help improve
youth livelihoods and reduce rural exodus.
The ARDYIS (Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth
in the Information Society) project is one of CTAs recent
initiatives with ACP partners, notably created to improve
ICT access for rural youth. Its aim is to raise awareness
and strengthen the capacity of young people, allowing
them to contribute to agriculture and rural development through the use of ICTs. This booklet provides an
overview and the results of the
essay competition Youth finding solutions to challenges in
agriculture and rural development using ICTs! , one of the
many ARDYIS activities. Entries
submitted demonstrated that
youth are more and more interested in the agricultural sector
and supporting them will definitely have a strong impact in
attracting more youth to rural
areas.
In addition to the ARDYIS project,
CTA has also embarked on other
initiatives such as a project with
the FANRPAN (Food, Agriculture
and Natural Resources Policy
Analysis Network) to develop policies for youth in Southern Africa and initiatives targeting
young scientists. Through its youth initiatives CTA will
contribute to the efforts of ACP governments to create
employment and income for the youth in agriculture and
related rural economies.
Michael Hailu
CTA Director
Introduction
The essay competition Youth finding solutions to challenges in agriculture and rural development using ICTs!
has been the initial activity of the ARDYIS project, a
framework of actions with the ambition to improve
opportunities for youth in agriculture and rural development through the use of ICTs.
Youth, aged 18 to 25 years old, were required to submit
entries in four categories. The first category asked
them to present two agricultural challenges and discuss
how ICTs could be used to address them; the second
category analyzes how ICTs can be used for effective
advocacy and lobbying to promote agriculture; the third
category targeted the use of ICTs to improve access to
markets; and the last one allowed them to tell the story
of a young person living in a rural area who has used
ICT successfully or in an innovative way (even if the
experience was not a full success), for his or her work.
The summaries of essays published here are clustered
in sections, based on the initial four categories.
We have decided to publish these essays2, to share with
the public a range of solutions and perspectives from
some of the best young entrants. Showcasing successful youth is not only key to exposing them to new
opportunities, but also serves to inspire interest in
these subjects amongst their peers.
Launched in June 2010, the competition has helped to
create a collaborative framework, with hundreds of
young people and youth organizations active or interested in the farming sector, in rural development and
in the use of ICTs in that context. Different activities

have been organized since then, including: training and
exchange on the use of web 2.0 tools in agriculture and
rural development; a workshop on agricultural entrepreneurship through ICTs; the Youth In Agriculture Blog
Competition (YoBloCo Awards); the adoption of an
advocacy document entitled Call for Stronger Support
for Youth Involvement in Agriculture and ICT; and networking and information dissemination on new opportunities. Many youth have attended conferences to
strengthen their knowledge, and some have even had
employment opportunities.
The ARDYIS initiative is still at its early stages and is
refining its strategy and actions. We are open to collaboration with all organizations interested in these
issues. I would like to seize this opportunity to thank
the members of the projects Advisory Committee,
whose constant and strong support has been crucially
instrumental. Credit also goes to CTA management, my
colleagues who contributed, in particular Mrs Oumy
Ndiaye (who, as Head of Department at CTA, played a
central role in the establishment and operation of the
initiative), Thilda Chevouline, Giorgio Bellinzas, Therese
Burke and Jenessi Matturi. Some encouraging results
have been achieved so far and more will be accomplished in the future.
Ken Lohento
ICT Programme Coordinator
1.
2.
Caribbean Farmers Network Source: www.cafan.org, CaFAN

Youth in Agriculture Regional Workshop, 2010
For more information about the contest and to read the full versions of the best essays, please check this website http://tinyurl.
com/ardyis-essay-documents
9|
AN ANALYTICAL SYNTHESIS OF SELECTED

ARDYIS ESSAYS
By Balraj Rajkomar, University of Mauritius
INTRODUCTION
IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS
The following synthesis is based on the best twenty entries

for an essay contest organised by the Agriculture, Rural
Development and Youth in the Information Society
(ARDYIS) ) project in 2010, covering the ACP countries.
The aim was to identify innovative solutions with regards
to challenges faced in agriculture and rural areas using
ICTs, with the expectation that more and more youth
will be attracted towards agriculture. The essays are
fairly concordant on the main issues, so that some generalizations can be made. However, it is fair to recognize
that within regions and countries, wide variations occur.
The youth recognize that agriculture in most of the ACP
countries is very important to the economy, by way of
its contribution to the GDP, export earnings, employment,
livelihood opportunities and future sustainable development. However, several problems hinder potential agricultural and rural development. Indeed, the main problems
identified by youth include the following : lack of interest
in agriculture among the youth; information asymmetry and poor communication; limited market access,
production technologies and inputs; risk and theft of
stock and farm products; and rural development policy
and implementation issues.
For youth, developing a farming business may not be
an attractive option, due to the many problems that
farmers have to face. According to Wilson, a participant
from Kenya, this confirms them in the option of migrating to town. Emigration is also a popular alternative.
However, among the educated new generation there is
a growing recognition of the role of agriculture and how
youth can contribute to its development using new tools
and technologies.
This report will examine firstly how the best essay
entrants consider that ICTs can support agriculture and
present the main ideas suggested. Secondly, it will consider the opportunities ICTs can offer in terms of youth
involvement in agriculture, as analyzed in the essays.
The names indicated are those of essay contest participants whose essays have been analyzed.
| 10
PROPOSED
The participants present many ways to tackle the problems identified. They all emphasise the key role being
played by the mobile telephone for farmers. Also, they
highlight the synergy which can arise when all the tools
and technologies available are used in combination,
satisfying their needs for information and communication regarding production technologies, prices and markets and credit amongst others. Their proposals are
either related to tools and technologies or to facilities
and policy frameworks needed to be put in place.
The mobile phone

The mobile phone has become an indispensable tool for
young people, even in rural areas, given its multi-functionality. Accessibility is fast increasing in populated
regions and cost is also decreasing. This raises the
question as to how this ubiquitous and versatile tool
can be used to help farmers.
Gabriel of Cameroon proposes the creation of a private
mobile phone network, after negotiations with a service
provider. Farmers will pay a fixed monthly rental for
unlimited calls amongst themselves, to increase information exchange; they can also get technical advice.
Nawsheen of Mauritius proposes the creation of an
agricultural information service for mobile phones.
NDepo of Ivory Coast uses his mobile phone with bluetooth to access the web; however, this is an isolated
case.
Using the mobile phone, it is now possible to transfer
money, and save by e-accounts. This revolutionises access
to money and spending, and hence to farm inputs and
proceeds from sales. It bridges long distances and poor
roads and brings down transport and transaction costs.
Interest bearing micro-saving schemes are now possible.
Chris of Kenya presents the story of Kamau, a young
M-pesa agent, who offers his clients money transfer facilities using his mobile phone.
It has to be recognized that disadvantaged groups excluded

from mainstream development will need assistance to
acquire and adopt ICT tools and skills, even basic ones.
The computer and the internet

The computer eases management and when there is
access to the internet, information is brought to the desk
in very short time, thus removing all barriers to the
empowerment of the rural youth. Computer literate
farmers can also market their products on the web. This
raises the issue of infrastructure, particularly the good
roads that are needed to transport perishable products
quickly.
Itodo proposes that land suitability information and land
available for lease can be posted on the web to support
opportunities for commercial agriculture.
Access to and use of computers will also increase gradually, but at present is more accessible to farmer organisations and more wealthy and/or educated farmers.
Rural Information Centres

Rural information centres (telecentres) can revolutionise
farmers access to information. Generally, telecentres offer
services such as fax, internet, typing, printing and scanning; also they are information centres, similar to a
research library. Wilson proposes rural based information
centres, both fixed and mobile, the latter to cover isolated
areas. Maureen of Uganda presents the story of Gilbert, a
young, successful farmer who initially obtained information
from the Kubere Information Centres radio talk show.
Telecentres will democratize access to information, opening up a whole range of possibilities for small farmers,
who up to now have had to deal with middlemen. Itodo
believes that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
can play a key role in the management of ICT centres,
training and transferring skills to local youth. Setting up
of young farmers clubs in secondary schools can raise
a generation of ICT skilled farmers.
Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS is an important tool for recording location specific
information. Nawsheen proposes more use of GPS in
mechanized tractor operations for precision farming and
cutting costs. This is more applicable to large scale and
mechanized farming. Ritten of Fiji advocates its use for
farm boundary location and information for traceability
and analysis.
Samantha of Jamaica views the use of a Geographic

Information System (GIS) as the solution to improve land
use and productivity and enhance coastal resource
management.
At present, use of GPS is more relevant for institutions
(for example, land planning), large farms and private
businesses.
Agricultural Information Systems

Appropriate agricultural information systems (AIS), if
developed, will enable farmers and other stakeholders
to have easy access to up to date information, for better
informed decisions.
According to Jason, a regional AIS to serve the Caribbean
can be set up to collect and disseminate information on
weather forecasts, prices of inputs, produce and farm
implements, using the internet and rural radio to cover
all the areas and thus facilitating sustainable economic
development. Dennis suggests that an updated and integrated network providing all agricultural information,
from farmer practices to prices, will be very useful to all
service providers and stakeholders. Gerald proposes an
expert system to train farmers and provide market
advice.
Agricultural Market Observatory

Inoussa of Burkina Faso recommends the setting up of
an agricultural market observatory. This will bring
together information collected by many agencies into
one system, to facilitate decision making by stakeholders.
Access by all users will create a level playing field.
Sangwan reports about the Initiative for Development
and Equity in African Agriculture (IDEAA), set up through
the Malawi Agriculture Commodity Exchange (MACE)
project, which collaborates on weekly price dissemination. In addition, the National Association of Smallholder
Farmers in Malawi (NASFAM) has introduced the Agriculture
Commodity Exchange (ACE) program to disseminate
prices via the internet. Small farmers have improved
access to markets through the market information system and better communication, through use of rural
radio, mobile phones and the internet.
Both of the above facilities are valued for their up to date
information but depend on the effective availability of
human and IT resources to bring a sustainable service
to farmers.
11 |
Expert systems to address risks

Weather forecasting may help farmers to plan their farm
operations or take certain precautionary measures.
Regarding theft of stock and farm products, Tyrone proposes the innovative Electronic Laser Fence Security Alert
System, which triggers an SMS alert to the owners mobile
phone whenever there is intrusion on his or her farmland.
Apart from farmers securing their property and action
taken by the police, local communities have to act and
take appropriate dissuasive measures.
The control of numerous pests and diseases can be
improved by an internet based decision support system,
to promote easy access to information on pest biology
and environment friendly control measures, proposes
Jason. User friendliness will be critical to wide adoption
of such systems.
Investment and cost reduction

Wilson of Kenya recognises that ICTs are capital intensive.
Samantha believes that government budget provisions
for ICTs need upward review and that consideration
should be given to international partnerships for financial aid.
Aristide of Benin argues that projects can be implemented under public-private partnership with community
participation. Gabriel proposes to decrease ICT project
costs by using second hand computers, open access software and, where possible, locally manufactured parts. In
the longer term, producers can be asked to contribute
towards the cost of accessing ICT services.
The participants have suggested very positive solutions
that can be used to amplify the impact of ICT on agriculture. ICTs can play a critical role to help farmers and
marginal groups move out of poverty, so long as they are
supported and helped to access the appropriate tools.
ICT enabled farmers will be able to access information
about markets, technology and quality standards, improving their ability to access remunerative markets. However,
it should be pointed out that while ICT can serve as a
facilitator, value addition can only take place with quality
products. Hence, there is a need to adopt improved farm
technologies which will sustain higher yields and high
quality produce, for which buyers are interested to pay
| 12
a premium price. Farmers also need to get more feedback on changing consumer demands and adapt
accordingly.
Combination of ICTs
The greatest benefit will be derived when ICTs are used
in combination - mobile phones, internet and rural radio/
TV. Specific needs of the population can thereby be met
and isolated areas reached. Radios using the national
language can solve the language barrier. In addition,
social networks can accelerate information availability
and uptake of technology. Gilbert uses a number of ICT
tools (telecentre, rural radio, mobile phone and internet).
Riten supports the use of video conferencing for technology demonstration and Gerald of Zimbabwe mentions
the use of Broadband over Power Line (BPL) Technology.
However, these are of limited immediate application.
The combined use of ICTs will bring about a synergistic
impact. However, it also raises the issue of greater collaboration needed among service providing organisations
and also other stakeholders. Adequate investment will
be critical.
Policy frameworks
The participants have also addressed the policy frameworks and made recommendations for the successful
implantation of ICTs in the agricultural sector.
With suitable government policies, an appropriate ICT
framework is needed, emphasizes Itodo. Samantha proposes that government should seek international assistance and collaboration for effective ICT application.
Project implementation must be a carefully phased process using currently available, implementable and feasible technologies, notes Gerald.
A whole operational system supports what the user can
access on their screen, hence the need to give due attention to the expertise and human resource requirements.
A successful uptake of ICTs in the sector will depend on
the active role of all stakeholders. Aristide states that
government, NGOs and farmer associations should mobilise farmers to use telecentres. All stakeholders must use
ICTs themselves and work collaboratively, stresses
Nawsheen.
Uptake of technologies and a critical mass of adopters

will ensure sustainable development of ICT in each country. Farmers will adopt practices which are meaningful
and lead to stable gains and improved welfare. Gerald
and Nawsheen point out that different farmer groups
have different needs, and should be targeted accordingly with appropriate technology. NGOs should pay
attention to marginalized groups. Adult literacy should
accompany technology diffusion and training of farmers
will be critical. The potential for enhancing extension
services is real and they will need to review their modes
of operation.
Programmes and projects implemented should have inbuilt
provision for evaluation. Impact assessments should consider technical, economic, socio-cultural and environmental aspects, with particular attention to beneficiary level
impact and vulnerable groups.
OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED
BY ICTS TO YOUTH IN
AGRICULTURE
In spite of the prevailing problems, youth have taken
advantage of ICTs to start their own businesses and have
flourished. A few cases are narrated below.
Chris writes about young Kamau from the Central Rift
Valley, who started as an M-pesa agent and then diversified into farming by renting land and growing crops,
for which he obtained technical information using his
mobile phone. He secured a good price for his produce
through the KACE (Kenya Agricultural Community
Exchange). He acquired a motorcycle to have quick
access to his bank in town and also employed a driver to
ferry people. His activities have reduced transaction and
transport costs, helping farmers and the local economy.
According to Chris, Kamaus experiences and business
acumen clearly show the important linkages and synergies that exist between the development of ICTs and
activities that can support the livelihoods of rural youth
for agricultural and rural development.
Having obtained technical information from a radio talk
by Kubere Information Centre, Gilbert of Apac, Uganda,
started a fruit tree planting business. He then diversified,

setting up a nursery to produce seedlings. He uses his
mobile phone for business transactions, and has taken
a number of computer training courses, using the internet to search for information. He intends to look for
regional markets using the web, diversify into fruit processing and employ local youth in this business.
NDepo was unemployed, though holding a technicians
diploma. He decided to start a business rearing chickens
and agoutis, and acquired technical information from
the web using the Bluetooth on his mobile phone. He
then submitted his project for departmental financing
with the technical support of the rural development
agency, ANADER. He formed a youth association of
unemployed graduates to benefit from the public
finance. As commercial feed was very expensive, leaving
very little profit, the group manufactured its own feed
by using locally available ingredients, and using the web
to look for the relevant technical information. The profitability of their business improved significantly and
they are now considering expansion and a number of
other projects.
The above examples illustrate how entrepreneurial youth
can use ICTs to acquire technical information, start their
own businesses and move out of unemployment and
poverty. For many youth in rural areas, self-employment
may be the only option. If they adopt an entrepreneurial
attitude and persevere, they will be able to create their
own business and prosper.
CONCLUSION
The essays have been silent on major issues of governance and accountability, HIV/AIDS, biotechnology, biofuels and climate change, which may impact on overall
policy and expected outcomes. This is more pertinent
for decision makers and does not affect the quality of
the contribution in the essays. The essays amply demonstrate the understanding of youth on the challenges
facing agriculture and how those who are ICT literate
and have access, can use the stream of technologies to
create opportunities for themselves and others in their
community, thus reversing a perennial situation of poverty and unsatisfied basic needs. The successful case
studies auger well for the future.
13 |
| 14
Winners of the
Essay Contest
From right to left: Chris MWANGI NGIGE (Kenya) andMaureen AGENA (Uganda); Gerald
MUSAKARUKA MANGENA (Zimbabwe); Gabriel DACKO GOUDJO (Cameroon); Itodo
Samuel ANTHONY (Nigeria); Tyrone Christopher HALL (Jamaica); Tyrone was the overall
ACP winner; Riten Gosai CHAND (Fiji)
15 |
| 16
Challenges
experienced in
agriculture and
how to use ICT
to tackle them
Agricultural theft, crop pests and unpredictable weather conditions these are just
some of the challenges facing todays ACP producers. Information and communication
technologies tailored to their needs and budgets can offer some solutions and help
farmers introduce more sustainable practices, improve record-keeping and plan more
efficient farm strategies.
17 |
Tyrone Hall
Jamaica, Caribbean
My main goal is to pioneer a
consultancy that specializes in
using communication to improve
development processes with
respect to health, the environment and rural development.
Im an unassuming but firm emerging researcher and

development consultant from the Caribbean. I grew up
on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaicas capital city. At
just 23 years old, Im about to graduate (May 22) with a
Masters in International Development and Social Change
from Clark University. Im keen to integrate my training
as a journalist with my emerging expertise in development communication and project management.
Favorite website:
http://ictkm.cgiar.org/youth-in-agriculture/
It provides concise, up-to-date and relevant information
about ICTs and youth in rural development processes.
Contact information:
My Blog: http://876.tigblog.org/post/4447855
My Email: Tyrone.hall876@gmail.com
Interests:
Traveling is my passion, living is my hobby, and my charisma is my wealth! I love to debate I was the highest
ranked debater in the world from Latin America and
the Caribbean in 2009.
Motto/ Quote: The young do not know enough to be
prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible and
achieve it, generation after generation.
Paul S. Buck
When you lose, dont lose the lesson.
Tyrone, Kayaking on Lake Michigan
| 18
Tackling Jamaicas Two Main Agricultural Plagues with ICT:

Praedial Larceny and Information Asymmetries/
Poor Marketing
Summary
Though important to the Jamaican economy, the agricultural sector is beset with crippling problems. The
two key challenges are praedial larceny and information asymmetries. Annual theft of crops and livestock
exceed J $5 billion. Farmers are disadvantaged by ineffective agricultural marketing. The Praedial Larceny
Prevention Programme had limited impact. Information and Communications Technologies offer innovative
and cost-effective solutions.
Praedial larceny can be discouraged by using of the Electronic Laser Fence Security Alert System, to trigger
an alert via SMS text or by a voice call to the owners mobile phone whenever an intruder crosses the laser
protected perimeter of his farmland. The farmer can alert the relevant law enforcers to deter theft. To improve
agricultural marketing, a central SMS Information Database (SMS ID) can be set up, where farmers post the
price of produce via SMS text messages or voice calls. Buyers can request and receive such information as well
as potential suppliers, resulting in improved information flow and efficiency.
The Problem
It is near dusk here in Glengoffee, a sleepy Jamaican
village. Mr. Leslie, a farmer since his teen years, curiously
patrols his property. He patiently counts his cattle, meticulously scans his vegetation and makes a mental note of
all his farming assets. This is his painstaking evening
routine. Yet, he isnt alone. He is among the more than 1
in 10 Jamaicans (280,000) directly affected by praedial
larceny; more than a million are indirectly affected.
Praedial larceny is an organized criminal activity geared
at perpetuating the theft of agricultural stocks (Redpath
2010; JIS 2010). It is one of two key problems which are
crippling the growth of Jamaicas agricultural sector. The
other challenge is a matter of information asymmetries
which hinders the development of a culturally appropriate, efficient and effective marketing system. Having
recognized these two key challenges (praedial larceny
and information asymmetries/ineffective marketing), I
will articulate solutions using Information and
Communications Technologies (ICTs) in a novel and
cost-effective manner. First, I will discuss the significance of agriculture in Jamaica.
The Context
It is pivotal that Jamaica responds to these problems
that plague its agricultural sector, for two primary reasons. First, agriculture accounts for a significant portion
of the islands economy, contributing nearly six percent

to its gross domestic product and upwards of 20 percent
of its total exports. In fact, the sector employs more than
1 in every 5 (21 percent) working members of the islands
labour force (CARICOM 2009). Second, despite the
islands productive capacity it is not self-sufficient in
agricultural products. Upwards of 80 percent of the cereals/cereal products consumed locally are imported, as
well as 12 percent of meat and fish. Even more calamitous, a rising proportion of fruits and vegetables consumed by Jamaicans are foreign grown (CARICOM 2009).
The Solution using ICT

Praedial Larceny
Despite the importance of agriculture to the local economy, the two key challenges identified render it highly
unattractive. Praedial larceny, for instance, is a vexing
issue for farmers and ranks as perhaps the greatest disincentive to the diversification of the islands agricultural
sector (George 2001). Jamaicas Minister of Agriculture
and Fisheries, Dr. Christopher Tufton, says every year
more than J$5 billion in crops and livestock is stolen,
enough to cripple the ailing sector if left untamed
(Redpath 2010; JIS 2010). The problem has bedevilled
the island for generations and successive governments
have bungled the institution of various measures to combat it. However, the most recent initiative is more cohe-
19 |
sive. The Praedial Larceny Prevention Programme seeks

to engender awareness about the seriousness of the act,
and to ensure that this is reflected in the enforcement
measures adopted by law enforcers. The Programme also
advocates the strengthening of existing laws coupled
with stiffer penalties to discourage the practice, as well
as the establishment of traceability systems to track the
movement of food and animals at all stages. The involvement of various stakeholders in this initiative is also
noteworthy (Jamaica-Gleaner 2009; JIS 2010).
However, the plan is more symptomatic than preventative, as it doesnt stop a thief from leaving the farmers
premises with their goods. So, this is very much a matter
of security. Farmers across the island have responded
by experimenting with costly security options such as
contracting a security company, perimeter fencing, and
obtaining trained security dogs, which costs hundreds
of thousands of dollars to maintain (Thompson 2008;
Brown 2007). Given the prevalence and cost effectiveness of various ICT applications locally, I believe a more
reliable and efficient preventative system that utilizes
this technology exists.
A Mobile Security Innovation

Consequently, I propose what my business partner at
Exterbox, Rohan Smith, calls the Electronic Laser Fence
Security Alert System-an out of the box idea that
could curb this costly, ancient problem (2008). The proposed system is a mobile security innovation to combat
praedial larceny. It brings together a mixture of security,
electronics and mobile technology to tackle the issue.
The system comprises an invisible laser fence, installed
around the area to be secured, which is linked to a mobile
communication system. The mobile communication system can send SMS text messages or initiate voice calls
to a list of predefined contacts. The integrity of the system is high because the laser fence is not detectable by
uninformed intruders. It is also tamper-proof due to its
design. There is a remote heartbeat mechanism which
monitors the status of the laser fence and reports any
operational abnormalities (Smith 2008).
The cost-effective Electronic Laser Fence Security
Alert System will trigger an alert via SMS text messaging or by initiating a voice call to the owners mobile
phone whenever an intruder crosses the laser protected
perimeter of his farmland. This will enable the farmer to
prevent the theft of his property as he can alert the
relevant law enforcement personnel. Most victims of
| 20
praedial larceny are not aware of the crime when it is

occurring. Their knowledge of the garish act while it is
happening will enable them to deter the perpetrators
(Smith 2008).
Information Asymmetries/Poor
Marketing
Having proposed a mobile security innovation to combat
praedial larceny, I believe that the technology can also
be used to address another agricultural plague, information asymmetries which inhibit efficient marketing. The
economic livelihood of farmers has been hampered by
ad hoc marketing systems and information asymmetries
for centuries. This is because inadequate communication
between producers and buyers results in inadequate planning, and ultimately an unstable market environment.
The problem is more acute today because of the omnipresence of corporate agro-industrial marketing strategies (Hall 2010). Thus, an integrated marketing system
for local farming products is needed. This will aid the
average farmer to overcome the structural and comparative disadvantages they endure. I envision that ICT may
be used to link all the relevant players in the agricultural
sector, so as to structure and strengthen the sector.
SMS ID
I propose a SMS Information Database (SMS ID) where
farmers may post the cost of their products via SMS text
messages or voice calls. Retailers, middle-men and consumers will be able to request the lowest costs for a
range of agricultural items via SMS text messages or
voice calls. This central database for agricultural product
cost information, SMS ID, would enable farmers of all
sorts to advertise their products and gain a better understanding of market trends and their competitors. SMS
ID would therefore expose farmers to a larger market
and ensure that they get the best price for their products.
The rapid spread of mobile phones in Jamaica and the
simplicity of the project make this a viable and realistic
use of the technology to improve marketing/information
asymmetries in the agricultural sector. For instance,
Farmer Leslie can text in his prices for his produce - say
yam $100 or carrot $50. All these are placed in a
database of products, including their costs for that week/
month. As a consumer/middleman/retailer, you can find
the going price for products by simply texting in the
name of the product and the price range you prefer - say
carrot minimum$?, yam average$? or potato highest$?- and you will receive a text with the associated
dollar value (e.g. the average cost for carrots this week
is $50). One could also text who has min carrot$?.
This could return a text that says Farmer Leslie [9785687] has the lowest priced carrots @ $10. The possibilities are endless with SMS ID.
Conclusion
The possibilities are boundless primarily because of
the rapid expansion of ICTs on the island. A decade
after the telecoms sector was liberalized, nearly twothirds of the population has access to mobile phones,
and internet access has more than tripled over the
same period. These technologies offer grand opportunities to tackle various problems, not least among them
the two challenges that I argued are Jamaicas chief
agricultural plagues. The challenges identified are praedial larceny and information asymmetries which cause
poor marketing of agricultural goods. To combat the
first challenge, praedial larceny, I have proposed a

mobile security innovation called Electronic Laser
Fence Security Alert System which works by triggering an alert via SMS text messaging or by initiating a
voice call to the owners mobile phone whenever an
intruder crosses the laser protected perimeter of his
farmland. Similarly, I proposed a SMS Information
Database (SMS ID) to eliminate information asymmetries which hinder the proper marketing of agricultural
goods in Jamaica. With SMS ID, farmers can post the
cost for their products via SMS text messages or voice
calls and retailers, middle-men, and consumers are able
to request the lowest costs for their goods via SMS text
messages or voice calls. This central database enables
farmers to advertise their products and gain a better
understanding of market trends and their competitors.
I believe that embracing these novel means of using
ICT to make agriculture more tenable and productive
in Jamaica is a step towards fully embracing the potential of ICT for the improvement of the local economy.
Bibliography
Brown, Ingrid. Cattle farmers lose $60 million to praedial thieves in 2005. January 28, 2007: Jamaica-Gleaner.
July 16, 2010. <http://m. jamaicaobserver.com/
news/118409 _Cattle-farmers- lose-- 60- million- to - praedial - thieves - in -2005>
Redpath, Laura. Anti-Praedial Larceny Initiative

Launched. May 21, 2010: Jamaica- Gleaner. August 2,
2010. <http://www.jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20100521/
lead/lead3.html>
Smith, Rohan. Business Conversation. March 23, 2008.
CARICOM. Agriculture Development Profile Jamaica.

2009: Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.
July 31, 2010. http://www.caricom.org/jsp/community/
donor_conference_agriculture/agri_profie_jamaica.jsp.
George, Claxixte. Minister of Agriculture Outlines FourPronged Strategy to Combat Praedial Larceny.
December 19, 2001: Press Release. August 2, 2010. http://
www.slumaffe.org/Press_Release/Praedial_Larceny/praedial_larceny.html
The Gleaner. Government to introduce new measures

for praedial larceny July 16, 2009: Jamaica-Gleaner.
July 26, 2010. <http://gojamaica.com/news/read_article.
php?id=10650>
Thompson, Shelly-Ann. ATTACKING PRAEDIAL LARCENY
- Security costs adding to increasing food bill. June 4,
2008: Jamaica-Gleaner. July 26, 2010. <http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080604/lead/lead4.html>
JIS. Tufton says Praedial Larceny Costs up to $5 Billion,

yearly. May 21, 2010: Ministry of Information, Jamaica.
July 28, 2010. <http://www.jis.gov.jm/MinAgriFish/html/20100521T0900000500_24039_JIS_TUFTON_SAYS_
PRAEDIAL_LARCENY_COSTS_UP_TO__5_BILLION__
YEARLY_.asp.>.
21 |
Samantha Kaye-Christie
Jamaica, Caribbean
While pursuing a major in
Psychology at the University of
the West Indies, I realized that
the poverty levels in Jamaica
have increased and this can be
attri-buted to the lack of the
right attitude towards the agricultural sector.
As a proud 20 year old Jamaican young lady, I take much
pride in reminiscing on my life. I grew up in the rural
community of Sandy Bay, Hanover. While attending secondary school (The Montego Bay High School for Girls)
I adopted a spirit that was geared towards volunteerism.
This continued at my tertiary level institution, where I
aligned myself with the Junior Chamber International
(JCI) organization to further fulfill service needs.
really means. The JCI organization not only seeks to promote sectors such as agriculture as a means of employment but it does so by stating that there is a dire need
to include the youth in such ventures. It is only then, that
we can really look towards a bright future.
Contact details:
samanthakchristie@hotmail.com or
samanthakchristie@uwimona.edu.jm
As such, I hope that the Government will seek to enhance

this vital sector, which serves as a means of employment,
thus reducing the levels of poverty.
My interests:
Apart from volunteerism (human rights), I enjoy learning
new languages. I am especially intrigued by the Spanish
language and pass time learning more about it and the
Spanish culture.
Favourite Quote: Excellence is an art won by training and
habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue
or excellence, but we rather have those because we have
acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,
then, is not an act but a habit. [Aristotle]
Favourite Website: http://www.jci.cc/guests/
The above website truly epitomizes what focus on youths
| 22
ICTs - Are they really the solution to challenges faced by

Hanoverian farmers?
Summary
Farmers of the Jamaican parish of Hanover have been complaining about the lack of communication between
themselves and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, thus hindering the exchange of information. There
is also the challenge that the development of tourism poses to agriculture and the environment. Hence the
role of ICTs in providing solutions.
Although half of the farmers have mobile phones, such a tool has not been effectively used for communication. It is proposed to create a tele-centre with intranet to enhance communication with the Minister. With
prior, user friendly training, farmers can exchange information and best practices, thus improving rural life and
culture.
Expansion of tourism is impacting negatively on the good agricultural land available and also on coral reefs
and fish resources. The use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) can help to improve land use and productivity and enhance coastal management leading to marine resources protection, namely coral reefs and
fisheries.
Why is agriculture being denied its role in strengthening

the Jamaican economy? In recent times, it has been
recognized that this industry is faced with a number of
challenges; challenges which need solutions. How about
trying ICTs for a change? According to Hassan (2009),
ICTs cover a number of components, including skills of
accessing, recording, manipulating and presenting data
or information using tools and software. So far the most
common way of introducing ICTs in Third World countries
has been through tele-centres. This paper aims to review
the challenges facing agriculture in Hanover, Jamaica,
and the possibilities ICTs may bring to solve the challenges and some of the difficulties that may be involved
in the transfer of this new technology.
Literature relating to the evolution of agriculture in
Hanover is limited. Vernon (1959) provides the most useful description of what can be considered a backdrop to
farming in the parish. In his historical analysis, he focuses
on the high levels of agricultural productivity. In recent
times, such expectations are dwindling. An explanation
to account for this issue lies in the statement:
A law should be passed for politicians to have only one
cellular phone; the farmers in Hanover are experiencing
robbery with aggravation. (Chairman of the Green
Island Cane Farmers Association, Hanover).

The comment, although received jokingly by
onlookers, indicates a deep-rooted challenge faced by
farmers in the parish. Communication was the identified
challenge. The problem is simply one where dialogue
between the Hanoverian Farmers and the Government,

has deteriorated. The Chairman explained that only a
flat rate of 17 % is allocated to Hanoverian agriculturalists. It should be understood that complaints were
not made of the amount given. The problem was that
there was no real connectivity between Christopher
Tufton, Jamaicas Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
and the local farmers. Thus, there is no reliable medium
through which information can be communicated to
negotiate the percentage. Furthermore, he expressed
a need for farmers in the parish to become more united
in order for the rural agricultural industry to thrive.
This he also attributed to the problem of the lack of
methods to communicate. It must be emphasized that
communication is an essential element for the development of any endeavour. This process involves the
effective transfer of information from one party to
another.
What should be highlighted is the word effective, as
the breakdown of such makes the communication process meaningless. In his presentation, Donaldson (2009)
noted the importance of a focus on rural livelihoods,
asserting that ICTs can empower people to amplify
their voices. Based on the definition given by Hassan
(2009) and Donaldsons understanding of ICTs, it seems
as though they can have a paramount role in increasing
agricultural productivity. In a local tabloid, Waller (2010)
asserted that, based on a 2009 study of the Jamaican
farming community, more than half the farmers had
access to a mobile phone. The truth of the matter is
23 |
that mobiles are portable and can be used without having

high levels of education. However, from the Chairmans
remarks it is clear that this method of communication
has not been a success.
It would be better to firstly construct a small centre in
the parish of Hanover, with access to an intranet system
designed specifically for communication between these
farmers and Tufton. In this way there would be constant
connectivity and the voice of the masses could be heard
in a timely and inexpensive manner. Skype software could
be a part of the package, in order to facilitate video conferencing. In addressing the issue of farmers uniting, this
intranet could also be used as a tool whereby Hanoverian
agriculturalists could exchange experiences and good
practices in order to have higher production levels.
Therefore, one could say this new technology is assisting
in maintaining the traditional ways of farming thus retaining the Jamaican culture.
Considerations must however be given to the social profile of small farmers in Hanover. Campbell (2006) found
that 50.8 % of Hanoverian small farmers were age 54
and above, with the highest level of education being primary school. Based on these findings, it can be deduced
that most of these farmers would not be familiar with
the technicalities of using such new technologies.
Therefore, in order for ICTs to be effective, training sessions should be established in order to educate these
farmers on becoming more technologically savvy.
Implementation of technology that uses mostly icons or
a touch screen method should be favoured, in order to
enhance its effectiveness and ease of access. This venture is of paramount importance, as it can improve the
communication problems faced by Hanoverian farmers
and new technology may even attract younger farmers
to the rural agricultural sector. These models can easily
be adopted, as they are based on activities, infrastructure, resources, access and relative usage patterns that
already exist in Jamaica.
The second challenge faced is influenced by an extraneous factor: tourism. For the purpose of this paper, focus
will be given to The Grand Palladium Hotel in Point,
Hanover. In a study conducted on the impact of tourism
on Hanover, Christie (2008) found that tourism contributes negatively to rural agricultural development. The
challenges faced by the local farming industry as a result
of tourism were quite astounding. However, two specific
issues that were raised seemed to hold more urgency for
a solution.
| 24
In his book The Contemporary Caribbean, Barker

examines how small farmers manage their resources
and concludes that the rationality of the farmer plays
an important role in such resource management. The
capability to manage resources can be influenced by a
number of factors, tourism being one. One way in which
tourism can influence agriculture as Jefferson (1976)
pointed out is that it can contribute to the reduction
of land for agricultural use. This in itself indicates the
need for there to be a system that is able to manage
land resources in order to yield high levels of productivity. Dimitri Kosogiannia, Manager of The Grand
Palladium revealed that an immense expansion would
take place at the resort. An increase of infrastructure
in Hanover would equate to a reduction in land availability for agriculture. With competition for land resources
from the growing tourist industry, this suggests that
less land equals less production. The math is simple
but thought provoking! Closely related to this issue is
the second challenge linked to tourism.
There is a growing problem of a reduction in the number
of fish in surrounding seas. Agriculture does not only
include the harvesting of crops; fishing is also considered
as part of the local agricultural industry. A main attraction
at the Palladium hotel is the use of glass bottomed boats
to view coral reefs. Goreau (1992) observed that there
are well-developed A. Palmata reefs on the northern coast
of Jamaica. Many of these boats damage the top of corals
and in the long run, the entire reef dies. As a result, the
aquatic resources are depleted.
The answer to both these challenges can be found with
the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS). A GIS
is one that captures, stores, analyzes, manages and presents data that are linked to location. In the case of land
reduction, the GIS provides the means to view variables
that affect crop yields, erosion and drought risk. This
would all be calculated from satellites under the arm of
the Jamaican Minister of Agriculture.
Then, by means of the internet, Hanoverian farmers would
have access to agricultural data, such as soil assessment
data, to integrate in their planting strategies. In essence,
the technology would enable Hanoverian farmers to manage land more efficiently so as to increase economic needs
and food security. In coastal management, GIS can be
used to locate and quantify coral reefs, not only to
improve conservation of that area, but also to improve
fishery habitats. One of the main challenges that would
ensue in implementing this ICT is in its financing.
Currently, the Jamaican agricultural sector is assigned

18-20 % in expenditure. This, I believe, is insufficient
to facilitate GIS and pay for the specialized persons
needed to make it a success. This needs to be considered in the Governments budget for future planning;
international partnerships for financial aid can also be
considered.
Like Martin Luther King Junior, I too have a dream. I

dream that one day the Hanoverian agricultural sector
will have its rightful place in the economy. The implementation of ICTs is a step worth taking. Yes, undoubtedly it is costly and has social and economic challenges,
but as a popular Jamaican saying goes If you want
good yuh nose haffi run [If you want good, you really
have to sacrifice and work for it]. Come, let us implement these ideas and become a part of a cadre of individuals who aim to develop the agricultural sector.
Bibliography
Campbell, D. (2006). Rural livelihood in Southwestern
Hanover: Farming on the Hinterland of a tourist area
(Unpublished Masters Thesis). The University of the
West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston.
Waller, L. (2010, May 5). The mobile phone and the possibilities for Jamaican farmers. The Gleaner. Retrieved
from http://www.jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20100505/
cleisure/cleisure3.html
Chairman of the Hanover Cane Farmers Association.

(2010, July 13). Your Issues Live. [Television Broadcast].
Vernon, K. (1959). The soils of Hanover and their capabilities, Department of Soils Research and Survey,
Regional Research centre, Trinidad, W.I.
Christie, S. (2008). The Impact of Tourism on Rural

Hanover (Unpublished Internal Assessment). The Montego
Bay Community College, Montego Bay.
Goreau, T. (1992). Coral Reef Protection in Western
Jamaica. Protecting Jamaicas Coral Reefs: Water
Quality Issues, 39-65.
Hassan, M, A., et.al. (2009). Problems and Obstacles in
using Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Among Malaysian Agro-Based Entrepreneurs. European
Journal of Scientific Research (36) 1.Retrieved from
http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_36_1_10.pdf
Jefferson, O. (1976). Some economic aspects of tourism. Caribbean Tourism. Vol. (1), 63-68.
Potter, R. B. and Barker, D. et al. (2004). The Contemporary Caribbean, Pearson Education Ltd, London.
Richardson, D. (2003). ICTs Transforming Agricultural
Extension? Report of the 6th Consultative Expert
Meeting of CTAs Observatory on ICTs, Retrieved from
http://www.anancy.net/documents/file_en/WD8034.pdf
http://ictupdate.cta.int/var/ictupdate/storage/
images/media/images/group/23062-1-eng-GB/
group_medium.jpg
25 |
Jason Haynes
St Vincent and
Grenadines, Caribbean
I appreciate the use of ICT in
agriculture and rural development and will accordingly continue the thrust of fostering
closer ties between my profession
and those important areas.
I am young, dynamic and versatile Vincentian who is
committed to the cause of advancing not only my country, but the Caribbean region by extension. I am passionate about bettering the lives of young people through
capacity building and will continue to champion the cause
of under-privileged youths.
I pursue a Bachelor of Laws at the University of the West
Indies, but Im scheduled to graduate in a couple of
months. In reality however, my passion is not so much
law but rather I.T / Computer Science. In any event, given
that I am already in the profession, I pro-mise to do my
best to better the lives of those whom I interact with.
Favorite website: http://ictandthelaw.blogspot.com/

My blog allows me to channel my thoughts and perspectives on themes which affect my community but
which may not necessarily be closely related to my
profession.
Contact information
jason-k-haynes@hotmail.com
masterpro10 (twitter)
http://www.facebook.com/super.starjason
Interests:
I am an ardent cricketer, athlete, poet, actor and advocate.
Whatever I put my hands to do, I generally do it with all
my might.
Motto/ Quote: I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13)
| 26
Challenges experienced in the Caribbean region related to

agriculture or rural development and the use of ICTs to
address them
Summary
Of the many challenges faced by agricultural producers in the Carribean region, two key ones are isolation and
pest and disease infestations. Poor farmers suffer from isolation, low level of knowledge, unavailability of proper
information, exploitation by unscrupulous dealers and natural calamities; ICT can be used to address these. To
improve availability and access to information, an Agricultural Information System (AIS) can be set up to collect
and disseminate information on weather and prices of inputs, produce and implements using the internet and
rural radio to cover all the areas. The serious problem of fruit fly can be controlled by governments across the
region, using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to mass produce and release sterile males to drastically decrease
the pest population. The control of numerous pests and diseases can be improved by an internet based decision
support system to give producers easy access to information on pest biology and environment friendly control
measures.
The Caribbean region consists of 23 island states and

four associated continental countries. The region as a
whole has a population of 37.7 million and a total land
area of 61 million ha, of which approximately 25% is
under agricultural production while 11% is arable.
Agriculture is primarily based on plantation crops such
as sugarcane, banana, cocoa, coffee, tobacco and
citrus.
communication of agricultural information4 can help

farmers make informed choices about the opportunities
and constraints associated with agricultural development
strategies, thereby reducing their vulnerability to fragile
market conditions.
Over the past decade, globalization has had an adverse

impact on the economies of the region resulting in considerable loss of export markets. In this regard, The World
Trade Organization (WTO) has defined the region as
dependent, vulnerable, open, and primarily single sectored3 and this is evidenced by the grave geo-political
fragmentation of the region, where territories are separated by political ideology, language and oceanic or land
barriers. This therefore poses a serious challenge in facilitating appropriate mechanisms for technology development, transfer and cooperation within the region.
One of the major problems which continues to negatively affect the agricultural sector in the region is the
situation whereby farmers in isolated rural communities
are often unaware of the value of their crops and are
thus placed in a poor negotiating position vis--vis middlemen, who routinely under-represent the final selling
price while overstating transaction costs. Similarly,
many farmers, because of illiteracy, are also unaware
of the true price of seeds, fertilizer and other inputs,
which often results in them paying an inflated price at
purchase stations. A large majority of farmers are also
unaware of strategic opportunities within their own
communities for technical and institutional development and by extension, what products are in demand.
Undoubtedly however, agriculture is the backbone of

Caribbean economies and rural livelihoods. In fact,
according to the World Health Organization, agriculture
is not only an important source of nutrition for islanders
across the region but also forms the basis of income
generated by agricultural producers, and the regions
economy as a whole. In this regard, it has been recognised that improved systems for the management and
In any event, while it must be noted that attempts have

in the past been made to remedy this problem of incapacity and ignorance on the part of agricultural producers, the employment of ICTs has been lacking. However,
there is much promise in recent policy initiatives proposed by governments across the region, which are primarily targeted at employing the strategic use of ICTs in
an effort to facilitate an increase in agricultural produc-
3.
4.
WTO 2008 Report

UNESCO has defined ICT as new or advanced technologies that enhance the dissemination or creation of information and
communication.
27 |
tivity while strengthening linkages with other industries

so as to reduce the level of indigence which presently
exists in our region. Indeed, the rural poor, more than
any other sector of the region, depend heavily on agriculture and related activities for their livelihood and it is
with this in mind that I propose the employment of an
Agricultural Information System (AIS).
In the first instance, I foresee the pricing component of
this system as facilitating farmers access to information
on economic trends, in terms of prices and demand for
particular farm produce, thereby reducing the chances
of them being exploited by unscrupulous dealers. Further,
I envisage the system as also facilitating access to information on weather projections, given that the region has
over the years been shown to be particularly vulnerable
to the catastrophic impact of hurricanes. In fact, in the
last 6 years alone, Antigua and Barbuda has been battered by 5 hurricanes which cumulatively destroyed
entire crop plantations, while in Belize, US$305 million
in damage has been recorded by the agriculture industry.
In this regard, the ICT based information system will, in
my estimation, assist farmers in effectively planning in
advance for the hurricane season.
Additionally, the information system will allow farmers
to access information on farm implements, which they
can order online, while also being able to access information on how to grow certain crops, including post-germination management. This will complement the agricultural extension systems which exist in some areas
across the region. Moreover, to complement the AIS, a
price information system can be adopted which will serve
to collect price information from main national markets.
This information can then be stored in a central database
at the regional level and subsequently published on a
website, accessible at the local level through small information centres equipped with computers connected to
the Internet. In addition, in an effort to reach a much
wider target group, market prices can be broadcast to
isolated communities via two-way radio or rural radio,
thereby creating a level playing field between all the
producers within a given island as well as the middlemen
operating in the same zone.
Indeed, this system has proved to be quite effectively
adopted in rural communities across developing countries. For example, the E-Commerce Project operated by
the Ministry of Agriculture in Ghana facilitates the collection of prices for agricultural produce in key markets
around the country; this information is then organized
in a central database and published on the Ministrys
| 28
website5. Farmers have access to this information via the

provincial offices of the Ministry.6 Effectively therefore,
given the successful implementation of the aforementioned initiatives and the relatively limited cost of implementation, I humbly propose the implementation of an
AIS as it will serve to effectively combat the issue of
incapacity and ignorance on the part of farmers in rural
communities across the region while facilitating sustainable economic development.
The second major challenge affecting the regions agricultural industry is that of pest infestation and crop diseases which primarily affect what are considered in the
Caribbean as cash crops. As a consequence of this problem, the region has to date lost over 500 million dollars
in agricultural produce in contrast to the global figure of
30 billion dollars. In fact, the Caribbean Agricultural
Research Development Institute (CARDI) reported in
2009 that several major outbreaks continue to affect
the regions agricultural sector and warned that urgent
work is needed to remedy what it described as a frightening situation. The Caribbean fruit fly was identified
as the major culprit in that it has negatively affected
several species of tropical and subtropical fruits across
the region. Research by CARDI7 has indicated that there
are close to 100 hosts of the Caribbean fruit fly, including
citrus fruits, guava, mangoes, French cherry, roseapple,
peach and tropical almond. Other pests and diseases
affecting the region include the papaya ringspot virus8,
aphids9, the sweet potato leaf beetle10, pests in callaloo
fields, pests in cabbage fields, the lepidopteran pests of
vegetable amaranth11, phytoplasma12 and more recently
the gall midge in hot peppers. The problem of pests and
diseases is indeed a troubling phenomenon for agriculturally dependent communities such as those that exist
in the Caribbean and in this regard I wish to recommend
several ICT based initiatives.
In the first instance, governments across the region can
apply the most environmentally friendly alternative to
insecticide - the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). This technique involves the sterilization of factory-reared male
Caribbean fruit flies by irradiation. Millions of sterile
males can be hatched and then released into infested
areas. When they mate with female fruit flies in the wild,
no offspring are produced, thereby gradually reducing
a n d i n so m e s i tu a t i o n s eve n e ra d i ca t i n g t h e
population.13
Further, internet-based decision support systems can be
adopted in an effort to provide farmers with all the information they need to select the most appropriate pest
control strategy, including means of pest identification,

pest life cycles, sampling and decision-making criteria,
sampling threshold calculations, and pest distribution
models linked to weather monitoring systems. I envisage
these systems as also offering details of environmentally
friendly bio-control methods, as well as available pesticides and their safety risks and environmental impacts.
These applications could be further improved with the
addition of intelligent functions such as e-learning tools
and dynamic simulations of crop ecosystems.
In sum, should these ICT-based strategies be adopted

and implemented with the necessary support of regional
governments, the challenges of incapacity, ignorance
and pest and disease infestation, which continue to affect
the agricultural industry in the region, will be eradicated
and a new path for development will be charted.
5.
6.
10. Edwards, C and Seal D R. 2003. The sweet potato leaf beetle,
Typophorus nigritus viridicyaneus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae),
an emerging pest in Jamaica: distribution and host plant resistance. Tropical Agriculture (Trinidad) 80: 235-242
11. Clarke-Harris D O and Fleischer J S. 2003 Sequential sampling
and biorational chemistries for management of lepidopteran pests
of vegetable amaranth in the Caribbean. Journal of Economic
Entomology 96: 798-804
12. Myrie W A, *Paulraj L, Dollet M, Wray D, Been B O and McLauglin
W. 2006. First report of lethal yellowing disease of coconut palms
caused by phytoplasma on Nevis island. Plant Disease 90:834
13. The technique has been particularly effective the Neretva Valley,
which runs across the borders of Croatia and Bosnia and
Herzegovina, where the migration of flies from outside into the
valley has been significantly reduced.
7.
8.
9.
www.mofa.gov.gh
Similarly, the CROMABU project in the Great Lakes district of
Tanzania provides information to farmers on input supplies and
prices of cash crops as well as more general information on transport. The information is then disseminated via information centres
as well as other media.
The Caribbean Agriculture and Research Development Institute
www.cardi.org/
Chin M,Rhodes L and Tennant P. 2008. Outbreak of papayaringspot virus in papaya orchards in St Kitts. Plant Pathology 57: 767
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120835324/abstract
Hoy M, Jeyaprakash A, Clarke-Harris D and Rhodes L. 2007.
Molecular and field analyses of the fortuitous establishment of
Lipolexis oregmae (Hymerioptera Aphidiidae) in Jamaica as a
natural enemy of the brown citrus aphid. Biological Control and
Technology 17: 473-482
29 |
Nawsheen Hosenally Bibi

Mauritius, Southern Africa
The reason Im studying agriculture is because Im interested in
world issues like hunger, poverty
and climate change, and my field
of study enables me to contribute
in making a change and have a
positive impact on society.
My name is Nawsheen Hosenally. Im 21 years old and
originally from Mauritius. Im a final year student at the
University of Mauritius, where Im studying agriculture
and specializing in agricultural extension. Apart from my
studies, I joined the Agricultural Society of the University
of Mauritius as secretary for one year; after that I wanted
to go further and joined AIESEC. In this international
organization, I have been on two leadership positions,
led more than five teams and worked with people from
more than 25 countries.
The main thing that youth expect in agriculture is to have
opportunities, which may be related with entrepreneurship, where they get the support of the government/
other organizations to start a business and contribute
to the economy, or other opportunities related to jobs in
the agricultural sector. Many youngsters have studied
agriculture and have ideas, but due to lack of opportunities and incentives, they have simply changed their
field of study.
Participating in the ARDYIS project has been one of the
best decisions I have taken so far. It started with the
submission of the essay, after which all participants were
registered in a group. Through this group, we have had
several discussion forums where we have shared our
opinions and ideas on specific topics, which has increased
my knowledge and interest in ICTs, youth and agriculture.
| 30
Then, the training on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Accra,

Ghana has been very fruitful, as everyday I am applying
what I learnt there in my studies and other professional
work. Presently, through the ARDYIS project, we are
being notified about different opportunities for internships, scholarships and competitions, which is exactly
what we need after finishing university.
My interests:
Agriculture: I like all aspects of agriculture.
AIESEC: I like this organization because it gives me
leadership opportunities, a global learning environment, and opportunity to work on issues like HIV/
AIDS etc.
My quote: Dreaming the impossible over and over again
makes it possible (Unknown)
My favourite website: http://www.fao.org/
As a student in agriculture, I visit this website very often
as it provides me with valuable information, which I use
in my everyday life.
Email: nawsheen.hosenally@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nawsheen.
hosenally
Two challenges experienced in Mauritius related to agriculture

or rural development, and the use of ICTs to address them
Summary
The price of inputs has increased considerably over the last three years in Mauritius and the cost of chemical
intensive production has soared. Two challenges facing farmers are to contain costs and adopt sustainable agriculture practices whilst increasing production. ICT can contribute to addressing these. However, technologies
should be appropriate for the target group. Small rural farmers with low levels of education can use mobile phones
to obtain a range of information including prices and good agricultural practices. Farmers can interact with agricultural radio presenters to obtain answers to their queries via SMS. The mobile phones organiser can also be
used to record data in the field. Large corporate farmers can also use computers and GPS in mechanised precision
farming to lower costs of production. The Internet can be used to seek information, develop online marketing,
interact with other farmers, blog and join discussions to enhance decision making.
Agriculture in Mauritius
The Republic of Mauritius is a Small Island Developing
State which is exposed to global climate change and natural disasters that can have serious adverse effects on
its agriculture. Our local food production is around 23%,
and the remaining 77% is imported. As the figures indicate, we are relying too much on imports and are not
food secure. For these reasons, in 2008, the Government
of Mauritius decided to invest in agriculture through a
Food Security Fund (FSF) of 1 Billion Rupees (300 million
Dollars). The goals of the Government are to increase
local food production, as well as be concerned about the
quality, marketing, profitability and safety of the
products.
The two main challenges that farmers are facing in meeting the goals of the Government are to:
a)
keep the cost of production low while increasing
production
Keeping the cost of production low is becoming a serious
problem for farmers in Mauritius because for the past 3
years, the cost of inputs such as fertilizer, quality seeds,
and agro-chemicals (insecticide/fungicide/herbicide) has
increased considerably.
b)
practice sustainable agriculture while increasing
production
To practise sustainable agriculture in Mauritius is a big
challenge to farmers since they are used to applying a
lot of chemicals in their plantations. The annual usage
of pesticide in Mauritius is around 1200 1300 tonnes

and that of fertilizer is 67000 tonnes.
These two challenges are inter-related and the same
ICT tool can be used to address to them.
1. Proposed solutions
According to the UNESCO, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are new or advanced
technologies that enhance the dissemination or creation
of information and communication. Formerly, when we
talked about ICT in agriculture, it was all about the use
of video, radio, television and newspapers. But today, ICT
in agriculture involves the use of mobile phones, computers, internet, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and
Geographical Information System (GIS). A combination
of traditional and new ICTs can be adopted by farmers
in order to meet the Government goals.
As a technology develops, it becomes more expensive
and more difficult for people to adopt them. So, while
proposing solutions to the challenges that farmers are
facing in Mauritius, we should know which ICT tool is
convenient for which category of farmer. For example,
we cannot ask a small planter who has 1 acre of land to
buy a tractor equipped with GPS to cultivate his land, as
it is not appropriate or profitable to him.
1.1 Smallholder farmers

This category of farmers should be our major concern
since there are more smallholders in the country and
they are the most vulnerable group. Smallholders are
generally farmers who live in rural areas, have a small
31 |
plot of land and are either illiterate or have attended

only primary school. So, the most appropriate ICT tool
for them is the mobile phone.
1.1.1 Mobile phone

Mauritius, the telecommunication sector is growing
In
very rapidly. Today, for a population of 1.2 million,
there are 1.06 million mobile phones that have been
sold and according to Mauritius Telecom, more than
60% of the population will have a mobile phone in
2016. Furthermore, we have mobile network coverage
across the island for the three main mobile operators,
namely Orange, Emtel and MTML.

The greatest advantage of mobile phones as a means
for farmers to face their challenges is that they are
affordable (less expensive than a computer) and easy
to use. The only service that makes use of mobile
phones in Mauritian agriculture is the Agricultural
Research and Extension Units SMS Disease Alert.
This service sends an SMS message to registered
planters when there is a disease outbreak on a particular crop. The service is beneficial to the planters
as they can take precautions to protect their crops
against the disease.

However, mobile phones can have many more applications in the agricultural sector than disease alerts.
They may be useful in marketing agricultural products, getting information on price of inputs, weather
updates, good agricultural practices and animal
health/husbandry etc. For these applications, a mobile
phone information service must be created whereby
information on different subjects is available to farmers. For example, to have access to this information,
the farmer only has to write a specific word followed
by the information that he needs and send it to a
number (e.g. type PRICE Tomato and send to number
xxxx). To develop this kind of service, we must try it
for one particular subject and see if it works. For
example, we can start by having a database for quality
seed producers and if a planter wants to know where
he can get tomato seed and its price, he only has to
send an SMS and he will get the information. If the
trial is successful, the service can be developed for
other types of information.

Mobile phones may also be useful when combined
with other ICT tools like radio, television and newspapers/magazines. In Mauritius, the Agricultural
| 32
Research and Extension Unit conducts radio talks on

the national radio station, but unfortunately there is
no interaction between the farmers and presenter. An
innovation could be that farmers send their questions
to the radio station by SMS, which can be answered
the same day or the week after. By doing this, farmers
can share their experiences and mistakes that have
been done in the past can be rectified.
problem that both planters and breeders face in
A
Mauritius is that they do not have a proper record
keeping system. This is mainly because when they are
in the farm, they do not carry pen and paper with
them and finally forget to record data. To solve this
problem, they may use the organizer in their mobile
phone and record farm details, which they can transfer later on paper (e.g. amount of chemicals used
and date of application, date of artificial insemination, etc.).

There are many more examples of how mobile phones
may be useful in facing challenges in Mauritian agriculture, but we should go slowly until the technology
is adopted by farmers for agricultural purposes.
1.2 ooperatives, entrepreneurs

C
and sugar estates

This category of producers is different from smallholder farmers, as they are less vulnerable and their
level of education is higher. Therefore, the ICT tools
that we can propose to them are quite different in the
sense that they are more expensive and require a
higher educational level and skills. However, just like
the smallholders, they can also make use of mobile
phones to access and share information.
1.2.1 Computers
computer is an essential ICT tool for sugar estates
A
and cooperatives that are in crop or livestock production as it enables them to have a proper record
system (e.g. on Microsoft Excel) and using the record,
they will be able to make informed decisions.
Furthermore, we can also install farming software
on it to record, retrieve and save farm data on the
office computer. The importance of having a farm
record is that we can use the data for management,
forecasting and marketing, which can help producers
in keeping their cost of production low and practising
sustainable agriculture. For example, with proper
records, we can know when to apply a particular

fungicide and the rate to be applied.
1.2.2 GPS Guidance

This technology has already been adopted successfully by two sugar estates in Mauritius. This type of
farming is called precision farming. It involves full
mechanization of all agricultural activities using tractors equipped with GPS. Since labor is expensive and
difficult to find, the use of precision agriculture is the
solution to this problem. While the tractor is furrowing
with the use of GPS guidance, data is recorded and
used for other operations. This gives the machine the
ability to operate on auto-pilot mode (i.e. a driver is
not required to control the tractor) and the tractor
will always move through the wheel tracks, without
damaging the crops. With precision farming, the cost
of production can be reduced; the system can therefore be adopted by other cooperatives and sugar
estates for sugarcane production or cultivation of
other crops.
1.2.3 Internet

The internet may be used for agricultural purposes
in many ways. First of all, it can be used to have
information on farming, check market prices,
weather reports and news, download forms and
guides etc. Moreover, by using the internet, we can
create a website where different kinds of information can be shared. For example, an entrepreneur
may create his website and do his marketing online
or visit a website where he can order his inputs and

equipment. Another way in which the internet may
help farmers in Mauritius is that they can create a
blog or wiki, where they can interact with each
other, share their experience and find solutions to
problems in farming. For example, a farmer has
seen a symptom of a disease in his plantation. He
may post a picture on the blog and his farmer
friends may comment on the picture, giving him an
indication what is it about. Concerning the wiki, all
the farmers involved can have access to it, where
they can share files, comment on posts, discuss on
different topics etc. This will enable them to have
precious information and make informed decisions
for their farming.
2. Conclusions
The use of ICT in Mauritian agriculture can be successful, but for that, programmes must be designed and
implemented with care. We cannot bring about a drastic
change in the farmers life and therefore, the most reliable ICT tool remains the mobile phone in Mauritius,
since it can be adopted by all categories of farmers and
is sustainable. In addition, not only farmers, but also
all the stakeholders involved in agriculture (public sector, NGOs, University, Research & Extension) must use
ICT, and collaborate so that they can share information
and find solutions for problems faced by Mauritian agriculture. Finally, ICT remains the only solution for sharing the right information at the right time so that farmers are able to make good decisions, to meet the goals
of the Government.
3. References
1. IFAD. (2010). Statement by the Honourable S.V.
Faugoo, Minister of Agro Industry, Food Production
and Security on the occasion of the thirty-third
session of IFADs Governing Council. URL: http://
www.ifad.org/events/gc/33/speech/mauritiu.htm
2. Thinkquest education foundation. Agriculture: An
overview. URL: http://library.thinkquest.org/C01
10237/Agriculture_/agriculture_.html
3. Actnow broadband Cornwall. (2009). ICT for farming.
URL: http://www.actnowcornwall.co.uk/ICT forAgriculture.asp
4. Lecture notes University of Mauritius
5. Agricultural Research and Extension Unit
33 |
| 34
How can ICTs be

used to improve
access to market
for agricultural
products from
your country
or region?
As many farmers find to their cost, the toughest link to crack in the value chain is
often the last one. Finding buyers for their products or services can be a daunting
business for many small-scale producers. But ICTs can play a valuable role in linking
them to markets.
35 |
Sangwan Rebeccah Gondwe

Malawi, Southern Africa
Communication is the grease
that makes the wheel of marketing
go round, is the quote I have
loved in the communication and
marketing circles.
My name is Sangwani Rebeccah Gondwe. The name

Sangwani is Tumbuka and it means Rejoice in English.
I love this name. I was born 25 years ago to Malawian
parents. I come from the northern part of Malawi but I
spent most of my growing up and education in the central
part of Malawi particularly the capital city, Lilongwe. I
possess a BSc in Agribusiness Management and I just
finalized working on my MSc in Agricultural and Applied
Economics.
Motto: My Motto is I can do everything through Him

(Christ) who gives me strength. Philippians 4 verse 13.
This verse gives me every reason to forge ahead regardless of anything.
My Masters thesis was oriented towards agricultural

marketing. One set-back to the enhancement of agricultural marketing in Malawi and most African countries is
poor access to information and ICTs which, with their
benign role, are simply the way to go. In this regard, since
youths are the most likely to embrace the technologies
and use them, they are the best agents to ensure maximum and efficient use of such and I strongly advocate
for their involvement.
Email: sangwani2009@gmail.com
Favorite website: www.multi-development.com/ and

http://www.cta.int
They are both rural development oriented and I am an
activist of such.
The issue of infrastructural development and marketing

is so burning in Malawi that we need ways that will still
ensure marketing proceeds regardless of infrastructural
hurdles. The use of ICTs, in my opinion, is therefore the
way to go. For example, in my article, I refer to a case
where a 100 km stretch of road could take you 3 hours
instead of an hour because it is so poor. Therefore, considering the nature of agricultural products, they may
deteriorate before you find a prospective buyer for your
product if you are to depend on road transport. On the
other hand, a phone, email or radio message may take
one minute and they are connected.
| 36
Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture | PART 2
When the Use of Modern ICT becomes a requisite:

The Case of Malawi
Summary
Small farmers make a significant contribution of 25% to Malawis total GDP. Efficient marketing can help small
farmers move beyond the poverty trap. The earlier SAPs liberalised the agricultural and communication sectors
but also led to market failure because of complexities. With a pro-poor ICT policy, small farmers have access to
markets through market information and better communication using rural radio, mobile phone and internet.
IDEAA (Initiative for Development and Equity in African Agriculture) has been set up through the Malawi Agriculture
Commodity Exchange (MACE) project and it collaborates on weekly price dissemination. In addition, National
Association of Smallholder Farmers in Malawi (NASFAM) has introduced Agriculture Commodity Exchange (ACE)
program to disseminate prices for an internet market. Better documentation of the positive impacts of ICTs is
needed, whilst some areas are yet to benefit from these innovations. In some districts, poor infrastructure, such
as bad roads and erratic mobile networks, hinder transport and communication.
Malawi is an agro-based economy where agriculture contributes at least 39 percent to the GDP. The agricultural
sector is dual in nature, comprising the estate and the
smallholder sub-sectors. The smallholder sub-sector
dominates, contributing more than 70 percent to the
agriculture GDP.This implies that smallholder farmers
play an active role in the economic growth and poverty
reduction efforts of Malawi. Available statistics show that
the smallholder subsector contributes around 25 percent
of the total GDP, employs 95 percent of the total agricultural labour force, and supplies almost 70 percent of
agricultural produce in Malawi (World Bank, 2006).
Although the smallholder agricultural sector plays a critical role in the economy, most of these farmers are
engaged in subsistence and semi-subsistence agriculture
characterized by low productivity, low marketable surpluses and returns, and low investment, a situation
described by Barrett and Swallow (2006) and Barrett
(2008) as a low equilibrium poverty trap.
In Malawi, the landholding size is small among smallholder farmers: 2.5 to 3 million smallholder farmers
cultivate about 2.4 million hectares under customary
land tenure (Babu and Sanyal, 2007). As a result of this
small landholding size and use of low yielding varieties,
about one-third of the population is perpetually unable
to produce enough food to feed their families for a year.
These smallholder farmers must seek other sources of
income or depend on sales from other agricultural
products to purchase maize14. Therefore, efficient agricultural commodity markets are critical to smallholder
farmers and the rural poor in Malawi.
14. In Malawi having food (or being food secure) is equated to having
Maize.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Malawi, like most of

the African countries, underwent major policy changes
under the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs).
Both the communication and agricultural sectors were
liberalized15. The liberalization of the communication
and agricultural sectors, especially agricultural commodity markets, was intended to facilitate the functioning and effectiveness of the rural markets. McCrystal
(2007) indicates that liberalization was intended to
equip smallholder farmers with successful marketing
instruments and the ability to obtain market intelligence (information) so as to make rational decisions
regarding crops to produce and markets to sell the
product. Although agricultural commodity markets
have been commercialized, there are failures that characterize most of the markets. These include: poor
access to reliable and timely market information; small
volumes of high value products offered by individual
smallholder farmers; and poorly structured, inefficient
markets. For some crops and geographical areas, the
private sector has been able to serve farmers and consumers more efficiently. In other areas (especially
remote areas) and crops there remain market failures,
especially for export crops and inputs (Ponte, 2002).
Barrett (2008) indicates that smallholder farmers
access to markets is constrained by lack of, or asymmetry of information, lack of productive technologies
and poor access to public goods, among others.
Therefore, even after liberalization, agricultural commodity markets are still not working efficiently for the
smallholder farmer in Malawi.
15. Initially government fully controlled such operations. After liberalization,

private players and other many players provided similar services.
37 |
Liberalization in the communication sector has resulted

in the development of a pro-poor ICT (Information and
Communication Technology) policy in the country. The
use of ICT in Malawi has found application in many
development sectors, including education, health and
agriculture. The development of a propoor ICT policy
in these departments has opened up easy access to
information. In the agricultural sector, the pro-poor ICT
policy has given farmers an opportunity to access
timely market information. Recent developments in
improving access to markets through dissemination of
market information have been made in Malawi.
Institutions have been established to link smallholder
farmers to markets through ICT interventions, such as
FM radio, mobile telephone (Short Messaging Service),
internet and e-mail. Such institutions include IDEAA
(Initiative for Development and Equity in African
Agriculture) through the Malawi Agriculture Commodity
Exchange (MACE) project. The project collaborates with
the Ministry of Agriculture on a weekly price dissemination project. In addition we have the newly introduced Agriculture Commodity Exchange (ACE) program
by the National Association of Smallholder Farmers in
Malawi (NASFAM) which is aimed at dissemination and
discovery of prices through an internet-based market.
Positive impacts of the pro-poor ICT mechanisms have
been noticed in the country, though they are not well
documented. We talk of cases where farmers are now
given timely information on markets and prices for their
commodity and are therefore making informed decisions regarding their commodities both within Malawi
and beyond. This is in comparison to previously when
their agricultural commodities were subjected to rural
markets characterized by fragmented supply chains
with many intermediaries. However, though this is the
case, some areas in the country are yet to reap of the
fruit of these innovations and a gap still remains to be
filled 16. Below is a real situation that is expected to
remain unchanged, unless modern ICTs are introduced
to such areas.
A Case In Point
As mentioned earlier, smallholder farmers, who dominate the agricultural sector in Malawi, are constrained
by lack of access to reliable markets and market information. Reasons for this include the spatial location of
markets, which is exacerbated by poor infrastructure,
notably the road networks connecting districts and
regions. For example, from my home district, Karonga,
in the Northern region of Malawi to its neighboring
| 38
district, Chitipa, also in the north, is a mere 110 kilometers which should take one hour or so to drive. But the
condition of the road connecting the two districts
increases the journey to three or so hours. Traditional
communication technologies, especially the written
press, have proved futile not only for Chitipa but for
many other districts. We talk of circumstances where
a district gets a previous days newspaper the next day.
Even in the face of ICT, the mobile networks in Chitipa
are erratic. To call or SMS someone there requires
effort and persistence because at the time of your calling they may be at a non-connected place. Internet is
yet another cause for frustration in Chitipa and, to a
lesser extent, in Karonga. Similar cases exist between
districts and regions and even within them. In the case
of Chitipa and Karonga, Chitipa produces more maize
(the main staple food in the country) and Karonga produces more rice. Marketing between these two districts
is therefore inevitable. The reliance on the road has
failed us outright, as have the traditional information
transfers that only concentrate on prices17. The speed
with which modern ICT transfers information between
and among people is therefore crucial in such instances.
For example, we talk of a farmer sending an SMS or
email to another informing them of a market for and/
or availability of an agricultural product. The speed
with which they get this information and so provide
feedback is a bit faster than if they were to wait for a
newspaper, or news on the radio or television. The food
and agriculture industry is also changing at a skyrocketing rate and technologies that can catch up with that
rate are therefore required. Pinstrup-Andersen (undated),
reports that rapid technological developments in molecular biology, information, communication and energy
are changing how food is grown, processed, and marketed, particularly in developed countries. For countries
like Malawi, embracing modern ICTs is therefore not a
choice, but a must.
Why is this? ICTs, especially in Malawian agriculture,
are and will be crucial, firstly, in increasing the bargaining power of the smallholder farmer, leading to better
market prices; secondly, in avoiding exploitation by
private traders and reducing the cost of seeking market
information; and thirdly reducing transportation and
other related transactions costs in input and output
markets. In the long run, ICTs can increase farm income
and ensure food security and poverty alleviation among
smallholder farmers, which are among the national
goals currently pursued by the Government.
REFERENCES
Babu S. and Sanyal P., (2007). Persistent Food Insecurity
from Policy Failures in Malawi Case Study #7-2 Of The
Program: Food Policy For Developing Countries: The Role
Of Government In The Global Food System in Pinstrup
Andersen (globalfoodsystem@cornell.edu) and Fuzhi
Cheng. Cornell University In collaboration with: Sren E.
Frandsen, FOI, University of Copenhagen; Arie
Kuyvenhoven, Wageningen University; Joachim von
Braun, International Food Policy Research Institute
McCrystal, L., (2007). Promoting agriculture development in Africa with the focus on the Small-scale Farmer.
In Plessis, M. The Farm Africa Farming business success
in Africa including agro-processing Africa Volume 8.
Agrifica (pty) Ltd South Africa.
Barrett, C. (2008). Smallholder market participation:

Concepts and evidence from Eastern and Southern
Africa. Food Policy 34(2008):299-317
Ponte, S. (2002). Farmers and markets in Tanzania: How

Policy Reforms Affect Rural Livelihoods in Africa.
Oxford, Dar es Salamu, Mkuki Na Nyota.
Barrett, C. and Swallow, B. (2006). Fractal Poverty

Traps. World Development. 34(1): 1-15.
World Bank (2006). Country Brief: Malawi. http//

go.worldbank.org/PH14P64710 (accessed 16.2.2008).
16. Filling this gap goes beyond having access to the services, and
involves the technical know-how of the users. Most smallholder
farmers, who form a larger part of Malawis agriculture, have
little or no knowledge of how to use mobile phones, internet
or e-mail. This emanates from the high illiteracy levels characterizing this group.
17.
Per Pinstrup-Andersen (undated). Food policy research

for developing countries. An Essay. Emerging issues
and unfinished business.
In radio as well as the written press, what one mostly finds are
the prices for various commodities and little or no information
on actual place to find the commodity, the quality and volume.
Modern ICT substantially fills this gap. The expectation is that
more and timely information can be provided through the mobile
phones, the internet and /or e-mails.
39 |
Gabriel Dacko Goudjo

Cameroon, Central Africa
Mon rve est de poursuivre mes
tudes dans une grande cole
anglo-saxonne, question dapprofondir mes connaissances dans les
tlcommunications afin de proposer des solutions plus efficaces au
secteur agricole de mon pays.
Jeune camerounais de 22 ans (2011), jai grandi dans la
ferme de mes parents dans lOuest-Cameroun, rgion
ayant pour principale activit lagriculture. Aprs mon
baccalaurat en 2007, jai t amen migrer vers la
capitale Yaound o je russis au concours dentre
une cole dingnierie en tlcommunications.
Limportance et la prcarit des tlcommunications
dans mon pays sont autant dlments qui me font faire
de ce secteur mon objectif de carrire. En 2010, aprs
lobtention de mon diplme dingnieur des travaux,
inform travers la liste dchange dIngnieurs sans
frontires Cameroun, je participe et obtiens le prix
Afrique centrale au concours de rdaction du projet
ARDYIS organis par le CTA. Le projet me confronte aux
sources dinformation qui me permettent de voir les problmes, les solutions et les opportunits quoffre le secteur
agricole. Ds cet instant, jai dcid dorienter mes tudes
en tlcommunications et ma carrire vers lagriculture.
Pour linstant, je travaille comme bnvole Ingnieurs
sans frontires Cameroun o je suis responsable du
programme Dsenclavement numrique pour accrotre
lefficacit des systmes agricoles.
Citation:
LAfrique a du potentiel, il faut juste le mettre en
valeur
Mon constat est clair, nous avons en Afrique tout ce
dont nous avons besoin, les Africains doivent changer
de mentalit pour en tirer pleinement profit.
Blog: http:// afriqueenor.over-blog.com ou
http://gabrieldacko.blogspot.com
E-mail: gabygoudjo@gmail.com
Tl.: (237) 94 06 73 09
Intrts:
Dveloppement africain laide de lagriculture et
des TIC.
Discussion sur des questions gnrales touchant le
monde.
| 40
Comment les TIC peuvent-elles tre utilises pour amliorer

laccs au march des produits agricoles au Cameroun ?
Le Cameroun, pays situ dans le golfe de Guine, avec
une superficie de 475650km 2, comptait, au 1er janvier 2010, 19 406100 habitants (BUCREP18, 3e RGPH19,
2005).
1. Production agricole et contraintes

Le pays est dot dune diversit agro-cologique qui lui
assure la possibilit dune large gamme de productions
agricoles. Lannuaire des statistiques agricoles 20062007 donne des chiffres assez significatifs sur lvolution des productions et des superficies par culture au
niveau national: arachide (236 951 ha); mas (562 235
ha), haricot (212 862 ha), etc. Par ailleurs, lInstitut
national des statistiques (2005) valuait le PIB20 agricole en 2004 20 %. Lanalyse-diagnostic du secteur
rvle cependant des contraintes majeures son dveloppement dont:
les difficults daccs aux marchs;
la faible productivit des exploitations:
la faible organisation des acteurs;
linsuffisance des crdits.
Pour ce qui est du premier point, les excdents commercialisables sont difficilement couls. Il y a cela plusieurs causes:
le mauvais tat des routes, lexplosion dmographique urbaine se traduisant par une explosion
concomitante de la demande de produits alimentaires de base;
linsuffisance des infrastructures de commercialisation, voire labsence despaces de commercialisation
en zone rurale, qui constitue un frein important
pour le regroupement et la ventilation de loffre
des produits;
le manque dinformations sur les opportunits du
march
les faibles capacits managriales des acteurs
(non-matrise des techniques de ngociation par les
producteurs).
2. tat de la demande au niveau
national et international
Il convient de rappeler que le Cameroun fait jonction
entre lAfrique quatoriale et lAfrique tropicale. Son
ouverture sur la mer lui offre de nombreuses possibilits
commerciales. Au niveau national, le march se trouve
trs souvent mal approvisionn. Les filires agricoles
dexportation ont t depuis lindpendance le principal
moteur de llvation du niveau de vie, en assurant le
dveloppement des revenus montaires en milieu rural.
Le revenu de plus du tiers de la population du pays provient des cultures dexportation produites par de petites
exploitations familiales. Actuellement, on recense beaucoup de partenaires internationaux (Union europenne)
et sous-rgionaux (Gabon, Nigeria, Tchad) dchanges.
Six produits agricoles majeurs constituent lessentiel du
commerce extrieur des produits agricoles du pays
(cacao, caf, fibre de coton, banane, huile de palme, caoutchouc). Dans le cadre de la diversification des exportations agricoles, de nouveaux produits tels que lananas,
le poivre, le haricot vert, le ssame se positionnent sur
les marchs internationaux. Ainsi, 1218,5 tonnes
dananas, arachide, haricot, oignon, piment ont t
exportes au poste de Campo vers la Guine quatoriale
en 2007 (Annuaire des statistiques agricoles 20062007). Ceci dnote limportance du march agricole
au Cameroun, mais naugure pas ncessairement dune
meilleure mise profit de ces productions.
3. tat des TIC

Le processus de restructuration du secteur des postes
et tlcommunications au Cameroun a permis de
mettre en place un cadre favorable aux TIC, avec la
mise en uvre des lments suivants:

Un
projet intitul
e-goverment

Pour accrotre lefficacit des services publics,
rduire les cots et les risques encourus par
les citoyens, les TIC travers la gouvernance
18. Bureau central des recensements et des tudes de population.
19. Recensement gnral de la population et de lhabitat.
20. Produit intrieur brut.
21. TCP: Tlcentre Communautaire Polyvalent- Infrastructure commune dispensatrice des services de tlcommunications, informatiques, audiovisuels et Internet partir dun terminal ou de
terminaux mis la disposition dune communaut rurale afin de
lui permettre de communiquer un prix abordable.
41 |
lectronique jouent un rle important, travers extension virtuelle des services administratifs dans les zones o ladministration nest
pas physiquement prsente. Ceci est ralis
grce aux services fournis par Internet de
manire scurise dans les bureaux de poste
ou les TCP 21. Dans la lance, ce projet pourra
favoriser la maturit du commerce en ligne. .
D
es projets en faveur des zones rurales tels
quele le projet dimplantation des Tlcentres
Communautaires Polyvalents dans plus de 150
localits. (www.minpostel.gov.cm/telecentre)
Le poste radio (environ 5 mnages sur 10) et le tlphone

mobile (environ 3 mnages sur 10) sont les outils de communication les plus rpandus et les plus utiliss chez les
mnages camerounais aujourdhui (BUCREP, 3e RGPH,
2005). Par contre, moins de 7 % des mnages en zone
rurale possdent un tlviseur parce que trs coteux
et ncessitant de lnergie lectrique pour son
fonctionnement.
4. Apport des TIC dans

lamlioration de laccs au march
Lavnement des coopratives agricoles au Cameroun,
limplication des jeunes diplms dans le domaine de
lagriculture offrent des perspectives nouvelles. Dans
loptique damliorer laccs au march des produits agricoles, en partant des problmes rencontrs par les producteurs, des moyens de communication les plus utiliss
en zone rurale, des accompagnements mis en place par
ltat ainsi que des services offerts par certaines entreprises, notre proposition est axe autour dune stratgie
dcline en quatre fondamentaux. Il sagit de la cration
et lutilisation dun rseau dinformation, dchange
et de formation runissant tous les producteurs et
autres acteurs nationaux/internationaux travers les
outils ci-aprs.
a) mission radio Agri-Info
hebdomadaire
expert vulgarisateur lanimera en langue locale,
Un
communiquera sur lvolution des prix des
matires premires, la variation des prix des produits sur les marchs locaux, les circuits de distribution, les units et techniques de transformation
et de stockage, les techniques managriales et de
| 42
vente. La parole sera donne aux spcialistes, aux

producteurs afin dexposer leurs problmes et de
partager leurs expriences. Le vulgarisateur
oprera une descente bimensuelle sur le terrain
pour une communication directe avec les agriculteurs. La radio communautaire sera connecte
Internet pour la mise jour de ses informations
par une liaison Wi-Fi un TCP, liaison qui cote
peu cher car elle peut se raliser avec des
matriaux locaux (antenne base de botes de
sardines ou Ricor rcupres).
b) F lotte prive de communication

Elle rassemblera les diffrents producteurs du pays,
permettant une communication illimite entre
eux contre le paiement dun abonnement fixe par
mois. Ainsi, la circulation de linformation sera optimise et rendue fluide. Cette plateforme signera
un contrat prfrentiel avec un oprateur de
tlphonie mobile pour faciliter la circulation de
linformation au sein de leur organisation travers
les appels et les SMS. Une quipe technique 22
rpondra aux proccupations individuelles des
producteurs partir dune fonctionnalit audio
disponible. Ceci se fera travers la rception dun
message qui invite le producteur appeler un
numro spcifique pour couter un fichier audio
sur les informations demandes. Le cas du Burkina
Faso au sein de lUnion nationale des producteurs
de coton du Burkina (UNPCB) est un exemple de
russite.
c) entre de connaissances
C
villageois
utilisera le matriel mis disposition par les TCP
Il
pour offrir des services trs diversifis et surtout
dfinis selon les besoins locaux en information. Il
y aura des informations administratives, techniques et commerciales agricoles, des formations
techniques et managriales, etc. Plusieurs moyens
de communication seront utiliss pour assurer les
changes, le bon droulement des formations ou
des campagnes de sensibilisation, parmi lesquels
les tableaux daffichage, les projections, les
haut-parleurs.
agent de relais communautaire (ARC) ayant
Un
des connaissances en TIC, agriculture et animation
communautaire assistera les producteurs dans la
recherche des informations et louverture la toile
internationale dans le salon virtuel communautaire (SVC). Le SVC, plate-forme web scurise
qui intgre une base de donnes gorfrences
sous forme de SIG23, voix, donnes et vido. Par
ailleurs, il permettra la liaison des communauts
rurales entre elles avec des sources dinformation
(volution des prix des matires premires, variation des prix des produits, circuits de distribution,
adresses des producteurs, exportateurs, fournisseurs...) et un espace de promotion, de vente et
de ngociation en ligne appuy par des visioconfrences. La configuration des TCP qui met disposition un accs haut dbit par satellite permettra
la fourniture dun tel service.
d) Rseau Wi-Fi communautaire

la troisime anne de fonctionnement des l
ments prcdents (a, b, c), partant du principe que
les producteurs ont dj une bonne connaissance
de lutilisation des TIC, on mettra sur pied un
rseau Wi-Fi communautaire propre aux zones
rurales qui interconnectera les producteurs entre
eux, la radio locale et le TCP. La particularit de
ce rseau est son architecture dcentralise
(maille), offrant des services de communication

Triple Play24 gratuit en interne, moins coteux
(antennes base de matriaux locaux tels que
botes de sardines, utilisation des logiciels libres,
gratuits). Chaque producteur achtera un ordinateur de seconde main, les antennes se fabriqueront en local, les logiciels seront tlchargs
gratuitement sur Internet. Le principe est la
participation communautaire, les ressources
seront partages. Cest--dire quun producteur
plus nanti (lite villageoise) pourrait partager
sa connexion Internet. Les panneaux solaires
seront dune grande utilit dans les zones qui
nont pas accs lnergie lectrique.
travail repose sur la conviction que laccs aux
Ce
informations pertinentes peut donner le pouvoir
de choisir aux villageois. Il est noter quune implication importante de ltat et des ONG en vue de
mobiliser les agriculteurs pour quils se dirigent
vers les centres dinformations agricoles sera
ncessaire pour vulgariser ledit projet. Ainsi les
plus pauvres pourront-ils bnficier du fruit de
leur travail et lagriculture du pays pourra-t-elle se
tourner vers une agriculture de rente.
22. Constitue des ONG, des structures tatiques spcialises dans

lagriculture
23. Systme dinformation gographique.
24. Technologie alliant voix, vido et donnes sur un mme support
43 |
Itodo Samuel Anthony

Nigeria, West Africa
Mon rve est de poursuivre mes
tudes dans une grande cole
anglo-saxonne, question dapprofondir mes connaissances dans les
tlcommunications afin de proposer des solutions plus efficaces au
secteur agricole de mon pays.
Jeune camerounais de 22 ans (2011), jai grandi dans la
ferme de mes parents dans lOuest-Cameroun, rgion
ayant pour principale activit lagriculture. Aprs mon
baccalaurat en 2007, jai t amen migrer vers la
capitale Yaound o je russis au concours dentre
une cole dingnierie en tlcommunications.
Limportance et la prcarit des tlcommunications
dans mon pays sont autant dlments qui me font faire
de ce secteur mon objectif de carrire. En 2010, aprs
lobtention de mon diplme dingnieur des travaux,
inform travers la liste dchange dIngnieurs sans
frontires Cameroun, je participe et obtiens le prix
Afrique centrale au concours de rdaction du projet
ARDYIS organis par le CTA. Le projet me confronte aux
sources dinformation qui me permettent de voir les problmes, les solutions et les opportunits quoffre le secteur
agricole. Ds cet instant, jai dcid dorienter mes tudes
en tlcommunications et ma carrire vers lagriculture.
Pour linstant, je travaille comme bnvole Ingnieurs
sans frontires Cameroun o je suis responsable du
programme Dsenclavement numrique pour accrotre
lefficacit des systmes agricoles.
Citation:
LAfrique a du potentiel, il faut juste le mettre en
valeur
Mon constat est clair, nous avons en Afrique tout ce
dont nous avons besoin, les Africains doivent changer
de mentalit pour en tirer pleinement profit.
Blog: http:// afriqueenor.over-blog.com ou
http://gabrieldacko.blogspot.com
E-mail: gabygoudjo@gmail.com
Tl.: (237) 94 06 73 09
Intrts:
Dveloppement africain laide de lagriculture et
des TIC.
Discussion sur des questions gnrales touchant le
monde.
Itodo in class with his students
| 44
Using ICTs to Bridge the Agricultural Extension Gap and

Improve Market Access for Rural Farmers in Nigeria:
A Practical Approach
Summary
Agricultural development is of major concern to most young rural Nigerians as poverty is widespread. ICTs have
the potential to bridge the gap between rural farmers and their market and information needs. A holistic policy
framework should be established. A Rural ICT Development Policy should ensure basic facilities in rural communities. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) can play a key role in the management of ICT centres and training
and transferring skills to local youth. Formation of young farmers clubs in secondary schools can raise a generation
of ICT skilled farmers. Extension services can be made widely available through a comprehensive online data and
information base, to facilitate communication and enhance group interaction, resulting in adoption of productive
practices. Project implementation and monitoring can be improved by online data collection. Farmers can access
training as well as market information online. Market mapping can identify major markets for various products
and provide export market requirements to interested farmers.
INTRODUCTION
Nigerias economy is overwhelmingly agrarian. In 1999,
70% of Nigerias labor force was involved in agriculture.
In 2009, agriculture accounted for 33.4% of Nigerias
GDP, while 70% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2007. 25 According to the UN, 51.7% of
Nigerias approximately 154.7 million people are rural
dwellers26, and about 60% of Nigerians under the age
of 35.27 This implies that agriculture is potentially a
youth dominated endeavor and that the challenges of
agriculture and rural development are a huge concern
to young Nigerians.
Agriculture in Nigeria is mainly rural and is characterized
by low productivity which can be ascribed to obsolete
farming practices, the challenge of accessing credit for
commercial agriculture, weak rural infrastructure, a constraining land tenure system, poor rural development
policy conception, poor implementation of viable policies,
ineffective extension services and the challenge of
accessing markets for agricultural products.
In the context of this essay, agricultural extension
involves deliberate communication of information to and
from farmers, involving agricultural policies; programs,
25. S o u r c e : W i k i p e d i a ( h t t p : / / e n .w i k i p e d i a . o rg /w i k i /
Economy_of_nigeria)
26. Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria#Economy)
( accessed August 14, 2010 at www.ifpri.org/publication, nsspbp
07.pdf)
research and education to help farming stakeholders

(farmers, markets, and government and development
partners) identify and analyze agriculture production
problems, identify opportunities for improvement and
support sound opinions and good decisions. Market
access refers to information on the location and entry
requirements of profitable markets.
ICTs AND AGRICULTURE IN RURAL

NIGERIA
Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) refer to
technologies that facilitate the creation, processing and
transfer of information across space and time28. ICTs
enable tasks to be performed quickly, efficiently and
comprehensively, facilitating the flow of large volumes
of information to a wide audience across numerous geographical locations.
Though ICTs are not a panacea to agricultural and rural
development, they have the potential to bridge the information gap for rural farmers with respect to innovative
practices, government policies, credit facilities, accessing
markets and acting as an effective tool for policy
advocacy.
27. Source: www.cnn.com/nigeria/index.html (assessed August

14, 2010)
28. ICTs in this context include traditional forms like radio, TVs and
the print media, and new forms like phones, PDAs, computers,
softwares, GIS, GPS and the use of the internet.
45 |
SETTING THE FRAMEWORK FOR

EFFECTIVE ICT USE
The challenge, therefore, is how can we use ICTs to
improve agricultural extension to rural dwellers and
improve access to markets? To get this right we need to
put in place an effective framework, in terms of appropriate policies and programs that will harness the already
well-known potential of ICTs.

NYSC ICT Volunteer Group: The NYSC29 can be an

effective tool for fostering ICT development in rural
communities as it can provide the man-power and
high level competence required to manage ICT centres and train locals on ICT use for agricultural development purposes. Besides, due to its wide coverage
of rural areas, networking between NYSC groups in
various communities can foster rural-urban communication, extending information to rural farmers and
providing relevant market access information. The
NYSC-ICT Volunteer Group will be trained on ICTs and
how to use them for relevant extension work and
sharing of market information. The proposed ICT
centres can be managed by trained NYSC ICT volunteers, who in turn will transfer skills to their communities via a train the trainer approach, to ensure
sustainability.
A Rural ICT Development Policy: Local governments should ensure the provision of basic ICT facilities for communities within their jurisdiction. With
the usually small population of most local communities, even a couple of computers can service their ICT
needs. Local governments and private organizations
can partner to provide ICT Centres (which can utilize
the wireless internet services provided by telecoms
companies) for rural communities.
sion by sharing experiences and communicating

these to government extension and policy implementation bodies, via the internet. A network of focus
groups, operating through the NYSC ICT initiative,
will also facilitate market information.
| 46
Young Farmers Association: Formation of young

farmers clubs in secondary schools will stimulate the
interest of youths in agriculture. By exposing students
to innovative agricultural practices and information
via mechanisms like slide show presentations and
interactive internet programs we can raise a generation of farmers that will be more willing to use ICTs
to create and utilize extension information and
improve their access to markets.
Community Focus Group: A coalition of the student
farmers, the NYSC ICT Volunteer Group and cooperative farmers in communities will result in focus
groups. Focus groups can promote agricultural exten-
Direct Connection of Rural Centres with Extension

Agencies and Markets : The Government should
introduce a policy whereby direct communication
exists between the various agricultural extension
agencies, policy implementation agencies, credit
institutions, prospective agricultural markets and the
ICT centres in rural areas. Through this market-farmer-extension service interaction, high yielding inputs
and innovative practices can be communicated to
farmers. In addition, major agricultural markets can
inform farmers on required product specifications
and even reach joint venture partnerships that will
allow major buyers to finance commercial farming.
ICT CONTENT AND USAGE FOR

EXTENSION SERVICE AND MARKET
ACCESS PURPOSES
Having established a platform for successful and sustainable ICT use, it is pertinent to discuss the content of such
schemes to ensure ICTs are truly relevant to farmers in
the areas of bringing extension services to them and
exposing them to markets for their products.

Comprehensive Online Database: The Ministry of

Agriculture and Rural Development need to create a
comprehensive information database that will contain
names, phone numbers, emails, contract addresses,
websites, etc. of all its agricultural extension service
centres. Similar information can be added to this
database by focus groups within communities, relevant
NGOs, credit houses and global development partners.
This will not only facilitate communication between
government agencies but also speed up communication
between focus groups and relevant agencies.
Registration of all Cooperative and Focus Groups

Online: A website can be designed, or a portal created
on the earlier mentioned website, for the registration
of all the NYSC ICT volunteer groups, ICT centres,
Young Farmer Associations and Integrated Community
Focus Groups, according to their states and local government areas, for easy navigation. This can be used
to foster inter-group communications on productive
practices as well as market trends and needs.
Online Information Processing and Project

Monitoring: By registering farmer groups as cooperatives on assistance program websites, farmers
can access agricultural assistance information, fill
relevant forms and sign for items e.g. fertilizers collected. This method will remove bureaucracy and
a l l ow t h e G ove r n m e n t to e a s i l y m o n i to r
implementation.
Market-Mapping: Major markets exist for agricultural

products in Nigeria, e.g. Kano has a big and profitable
market for cashew, groundnut and cotton. Market
mapping also needs to be done to identify major markets for various products. Also, information on the
required processes for registration to certain markets, especially export markets, needs to be put
online for farmers to access.
Do-It-Yourself Manuals: After gathering specific

community needs, agricultural development stakeholders can make do it yourself manuals. A manual
for poultry farming can contain information on rearing space, vaccination, disease warning signs and
treatments and possible markets. These manuals
should be accessible online or stored in CD form.
Videos can also be used to show agricultural practices, for easy learning. This is extending information
to farmers and exposing them to markets.
Ask the Expert: This extension service method has

been used in countries like India, Uganda and Japan.
With a feedback platform on websites, comments can
be posted for expert advice. Farmers can use internet
blogs to share their experiences in their respective
communities for the benefit of other farmers. This
changes the face of agricultural extension from a top
to bottom approach to one that is two-way.
E-Commerce: ICT has the potential of allowing farmers to sell products online via the ordering system,
even from the convenience of their villages. This will
require adequate registration of farmers and their
products, to ensure that products ordered online can
be traced to a particular farmer, in order to maintain
transaction integrity.
Online and Virtual Learning: From anywhere in

Nigeria, through the ICT centres, farmers can register
for online courses that will give them the technical
knowledge on certain agricultural practices as well
as business management skills like book-keeping.
Virtual learning using simulators can also enhance
managerial and administrative skills.
CONCLUSION
Geo-Mapping: To enhance productivity, the

Government with its ally agencies can carry out community land mapping in all local government areas
in Nigeria, to identify the potential of land in various
communities with respect to their suitability for crop
and livestock production and post such on a website,
where they can be accessed. Information from owners who want to lease their lands can also be collected and posted online to facilitate commercialization of agriculture.
The potential for enhancing agricultural extension services

and improving market access for young rural farmers
abounds with the use of ICTs. Harnessing this potential,
however, requires an appropriate framework for ICT utilization. This framework involves appropriate government
policies, formation of NYSC ICT volunteer groups, stimulating youth interest via the Young Farmers Association,
and facilitating communication between focus groups in
various communities and relevant government extension
service and policy implementation agencies.
29. The National Youth service Corps (NYSC) scheme in Nigeria is a

one year program that compulsorily mandates Nigerian graduates
of tertiary institutions to serve the nation for one year. The
scheme is divided into three overlapping batches separated by
three months. To foster rural development, 80% of Corps members are posted to rural areas, most of them to serve as teachers
in secondary schools. The NYSC currently has volunteering programs in MDGs, Awareness Creation and HIV/Aids Awareness. It
is proposed as a tool here because most tertiary institution graduates are familiar with the use of ICTs, are respected by communities and thus can lead an ICT drive, and are also easy to train
with respect to ICT technicality and agricultural information use.
47 |
Riten Chand Gosai

Fiji, Pacific
It is common fact that people
prefer the so called luxurious life
and are slowly moving to urban
centers leaving a declining rural
population where majority farming
takes place. Hence the onus is on
the youths to avoid succumbing to
the age old stereotype that agriculture is hard labor and not a reputable profession and to always get a
white collar job.
I graduated in December of last year [2010] as University
of the South Pacifics gold medallist and best graduate
2010 in the Bachelor of Agriculture programme. Until
recently, my life has been mostly centred around the sugarcane farms of rural Nadi, located in Western Fiji. Along
the way, I have spent 13 great academic years at Mulomulo
Primary and Secondary schools. Of all the careers I could
have pursued as a science student, fate linked me to my
roots.
Favourite Website: http://www.facebook.com/agrifiji

- my initiative and commitment to spread the gospel
and attract you
http://www.facebook.com/ritzgosai ;
http://ritzgosai.blogspot.com
Perhaps the vital importance of agriculture to the Pacific

region and the world really convinced me enough to
endorse this field as top priority; where my utmost interest and dedication lies. Currently I am attached with the
Biosecurity Authority of Fiji and advocating for youth to
adopt agriculture via CTAs ARDYIS project.It has been
the first ever project of its kind that I have been involved
with.
My Interests:
A unique blend of ICT use in agriculture, eradicating racial
discrimination, astronomy, the internet, music, a variety
of sports and WWE.
Quote: Man despite his historic pretensions, his sophistication and art, owes the fact of his existence to a 6 inch
layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains Anonymous
Deeds, not words: Riten and his group of friends putting into
practise what they learn in their courses at University of the
South Pacifics Agriculture Campus in Alafua, Samoa.
| 48
The Use of Information and Communication Technology to

Address Information Poverty and Reluctance of Farmers to
Commercialize in the Fiji Islands
Summary
Agriculture is the bedrock of the Fijian economy, with current focus on high-value cash crops for the local and
export markets. The development of agriculture can contribute to improving rural livelihoods. Fiji is extremely
information poor and hence ICT can provide an essential link in bridging the information gap. The extremely
widespread mobile telephony could be used to revolutionise farmers access to information. Telecentres with
internet can provide useful agricultural and price information to dramatically improve farmers negotiating
position. Video conferencing makes demonstrations possible in remote areas whilst radio and television can
be used more effectively in providing timely information and feedback opportunities. Farmers fear to commercialise produce, yet with better marketing, agricultural production can decrease poverty and the high level of
food importation, and improve food security. To improve productivity and sustainability, ICT can contribute to
pest and disease control. GPS and bar-coding can help in management, ensuring compliance with export
standards.
Fiji lies in the heart of the Pacific Ocean midway between

the Equator and the South Pole. The countrys Exclusive
Economic Zone contains 330 islands, a third of which are
inhabited and covers approximately 1.3 million square
kilometers of the South Pacific Ocean. Fiji has a land area
of 18,333 square kilometers of which 16 percent is arable
agricultural land. The country enjoys a maritime tropical
climate without great extremes of heat or cold.
Agriculture continues to be the bedrock of the Fijian
economy, accounting in 2007 for 14 percent of Fijis Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and two-thirds of its near
320,000 strong workforce. Sugar, the most important
agricultural product, generates almost 30 percent of
agricultural GDP. However, the commercial future of this
industry depends on the resolution of the land ownership
system due to which cultivation and production continue
to decline drastically. Consequently, the agricultural focus
has now shifted towards diversifying into high-value cash
crops for the domestic market, the prosperous tourism
industry and also exports (Fiji Agriculture Strategic
Development Plan 2010 2012, December 2009).
The growing demand for agricultural commodities including higher quality products, offers opportunities for
improving the livelihoods of the rural communities. The
role of information and communication technologies,
ICTs, to enhance food security is increasingly being recognized and was officially endorsed at the World Summit
on the Information Society (WSIS) 2003-2005.
Information and communication technology includes
any communication device or application encompassing cellular phones, computer and internet hardware
and software, satellite and geographical information
systems, as well as various services associated with
them, such as video conferencing (Techtarget, 2010).
This essay will discuss how ICTs can be used to counter
information poverty and unwillingness of farmers
to commercialize in Fiji.
To begin with, successful farming naturally depends on
the availability of resources, tangible and intangible;
information is the intangible. Without good quality agricultural information, bad decisions are made. This is
true everywhere in the world but is a major problem in
developing countries including Fiji, which is extremely
information poor. As a result, farmers are significantly
affected. Heeks and Ducombe (2001) describe how the
direct effect of such inconsistency is the wastage of
money and time, and loss of income. Information poverty makes farm entrepreneurs isolated, uncertain and
risk prone. If received information is complete, accurate, relevant, timely and appropriately presented, it
results in cost reduction and increased income.
Kiplangat (1999) proposes that dissemination of relevant
information to the farming communities can facilitate
the effective use of agricultural inputs, decision making
on markets and adoption of scientific methods.
Conversely, poor distribution of information across the
agricultural supply chain is a major concern for Fijian
49 |
farmers. ICTs provide the essential link in bridging this

information gap. In Fiji, a challenge exists whereby the
agriculture sector has failed to take advantage of such
technology to deliver resourceful information to needy
farmers. This predicament could be addressed should
the agriculture ministry and concerned organizations
adopt a bottom-up approach for introducing ICT-enabled
projects, in accordance with the needs and cultures of
the rural populace, as suggested by Dey et al (n.d.).
Firstly, the use of mobile phones is extremely widespread
in Fiji. Vodafone, Fijis first mobile company, has over 90
percent coverage and 700,000 customers. Digicel,
another mobile network, has over 70 percent coverage.
Agricultural information could be spread at a massive
scale should software be developed to support the farmers via mobile phones. Ilahiane (2007) states that mobile
phones have revolutionized the way in which farmers
access, exchange and manipulate information. Mobile
technology can be harnessed for great benefits to Fijian
farmers. For example, a network of community workers
in Uganda uses a suite of mobile applications to give
farming advice. Similarly, a DatAgro project in Chile takes
advantage of the high penetration rate of mobile phones
to allow rural farming cooperatives to define the types
of information most critical to their livelihoods and
receive it via text messages (Cagley, 2010).
Secondly, village telecentres can be extremely successful
in transmitting information. Rural telecentres can be
equipped with computers and internet and use solar
power for energy, as in Kenya where a computer centre
was established for farmers with 4 solar-powered computers, two 80 watt solar panels and a small modem
developed by Inveneo30. (Kigoni, 2009). Useful agricultural information on the web can also be accessed via
mobile phones that support internet connection.
Vodafone and Digicel Fiji also boast their highly successful
flashnet- USB powered internet which can be accessed
anywhere mobile coverage is available. Video conferencing with farmers via satellites or over the internet to
deliver urgently required information is also an innovative
use of ICT. This also enables demonstrations to be made
without actually being present in remote areas.
Additionally, traditional electronic media such as radio
and television, which have greater than 80 percent coverage in Fiji, could be used to broadcast quality programs
to really impact the agricultural populace. Communications
Fiji Limited and Fiji Broadcasting Company Limited have
six multilingual radio stations each, while two free-to-air
| 50
television companies (Fiji Television Limited and Mai

Television) also exist. The potential for Fijian farmers to
receive relevant information at the appropriate time is
immense. However, a model is needed that incorporates
farmers feedback, a resource that can be used to further
enhance information delivery.
The next challenge confronting agricultural development
in Fiji is the fear and unwillingness of farmers to commercialize production, which causes them to be trapped in a
vicious cycle of poverty. The majority of the 86, 680 rural
households (54 percent of the Fiji population) are engaged
in subsistence agricultural or fishing activities (Agriculture
Strategic Development Plan 2010- 2012, 2009). Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) sub-regional
Representative for the Pacific Islands, Fuavao, V states
that a thriving agriculture sector is crucial to address
food security and poverty. A healthy sector creates more
jobs, income and food for the poor. The challenge is creating a healthy agricultural sector to achieve these objectives and the key is commercialization (2010).
Correspondingly, in the Agriculture Strategic Development
Plan for 2010 to 2012, the Fiji government aims to reduce
the import bill of rice, potatoes, dairy products, sheep and
beef to $FJD105 million (~ 42 million) by 2012 and to
attain a greater level of self-sufficiency. In addition to that,
another goal is to increase the value of exports for nonsugar crops by $FJD100 million (~ 40 million) by 2012.
First of all, increasing the efficiency, productivity and
sustainability of small scale farms is an area where ICT
can make a significant contribution. Key improvements
stem from information about pest and disease control,
early warning systems, quality control, agro-meteorological services, agro-technology transfer and what is being
done around the world. Climate change is a major threat
to Pacific food security. New techniques to optimize production are being developed which need to be conveyed
to the farmers. For instance, after researchers in Burkina
Faso identified the best crop varieties for the Sissili
region, the Federation of Farmer Organization of Sissili
intensively used digital photos, video camera and video
presentations to explain the new growing techniques,
hence production increased by ninefold (Lenoir, 2009).
Similarly, the OSCAR (Open Source Simple Computer for
Agriculture Rural areas) project in 2006 developed a
software program to identify weeds using photographed
images. It then provides the weed description, variety
and control methods. Such technology can be highly utilized in a country like Fiji where expert and skilled personnel are limited.
Secondly, up to date market information can have a dramatic impact on farmers negotiating position in the commercial sector. Simple websites to match offer and demand
of agro-produce are the start of a more complex agriculture trade system; something which is absent in Fijis
domestic agricultural trade. An example is the e-Choupal
program in India, which operates via a kiosk with internet
access in the house of a trained farmer within walking
distance of target farmers, with the objective of creating
a direct marketing channel for the areas farmers. Likewise,
the Pacific island of Vanuatu became the second country
in the world to operate the National Livestock Identification
System (NLIS), the Australian tracking system for cattle,
to trace its organic beef, that is compatible with European
Union market requirements.
Furthermore, ICTs are extremely important for stock and
quality control in large scale production. When bar-coded
information is scanned into computers, it details the movement of commodities. An illustration of quality control is
provided by the Malian Fruit and Vegetable Export
Organization. It uses digital cameras and the internet to
gather data from farmers in order to meet international
export standards and then makes the same information
available on the web. Moreover, ICTs in commercial agriculture help in credit access and control, personnel management, finance and communication.
A relatively new technology for Fiji is the Global

Positioning System or GPS. This can be a crucial support to agriculture commercialization, and was used in
Ethiopia to map rural roads. This helps non-governmental
organizations, extension services and farmers to plan
their transportation needs (ICT Update 2010). GPS positioning is also used to provide guidance in the field and
to record information. It can be used to set and document
jobs as well as record boundaries and features on the
farm through mapping. Information can also be exported
to office software for traceability and analysis.
In conclusion then, the prevalence of challenges to
agriculture in Fiji is being increasingly recognized;
hence the employment of ICTs to address these issues
is essential. However, this will depend on many factors,
including: community ownership, appropriate content,
building on existing practices, access and empowerment, strengthening partnerships, and cost and financial sustainability. All in all, ICTs need to be adopted
and incorporated into the livelihoods of Fijian farmers
to enhance their knowledge and intelligence, as well
as equip them to farm on a commercial scale for the
improvement of their own lives, betterment of their
communities and the nation as a whole.
References
Heeks, R & Duncombe, R 2001, Information Technology
and Small Enterprises- A Handbook for Enterprise
Support Agencies in Developing Countries, Version 1.
IDPM, University of Manchester, UK.
Kiplangat, J 1999, An analysis of the opportunities for
information technology in improving access, transfer
and the use of agricultural information in the rural
areas in Kenya. Library Management, vol. 20, No. 2, pp.
115- 117.
Ilahiane, H 2007, Impacts of ICTs on agriculture: Farmers
and Mobile Phones. Retrieved July 20, 2010, from http://
www.public.iastate.edu/-hsain/Research/Impacts%20
of%20ICT%20in%20agriculture%20Ilahiane.ppt
Kigani, C 2010, When Persistence Pays Off, ICT

Updates, issue 50, pp. 16-17.
Communications Fiji Limited 2010. Retrieved July 22,
2010, from http://www.cfl.com.fj/aboutus.php
Agriculture Strategic Development Plan 2010 2012,
2009, Department of Agriculture, Suva, Fiji.
Lenoir, M 2010, Farmers Teaching Farmers, ICT
Updates, issue 52, pp. 4-5.
ICT for farming, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010, from
http://www.actnowcornwall.co.uk/ICTfor Agriculture.asp
Cagley, 2010, Direct Data on Demand, ICT Updates,

issue 53, pp. 8-9.
30. Inveneo is an NGO with focus on ICTs for organizations supporting

underserved communities in the developing world. It has developed materials which are designed to run on a 12-volt power supply. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inveneo)
51 |
Babatound Rivaldo Alain KPADONOU

Benin, West Africa
Les conditions humiliantes et naturellement ingrates qui caractrisent actuellement
lagriculture dans les pays ACP ne la laissent
gure dsire par la jeunesse. Les jeunes souhaitent avoir un environnement macro-conomique et institutionnel moderne
pour dvelopper leurs ides et btir une agriculture moderne en harmonie avec les dfis
actuels. Les jeunes sont les seuls capables de
donner uvn nouveau visage, bien sr moderne, lagriculture dans les pays ACP.
Je suis bninois, n en 1987 dans un petit village dAdjarra
o jai fait mes tudes primaires. Aprs mon baccalaurat
obtenu en 2004 au lyce Bhanzin de Porto-Novo, jai
t admis sur concours la Facult dAgronomie de lUniversit de Parakou, do je suis sorti en 2009 avec un
diplme dingnieur agro-conomiste. Je poursuis actuellement mes tudes en troisime cycle en tant que double tudiant en masters spc ialiss: lun en Gestion
intgre des ressources en eau (GIRE) et lautre en
Dveloppement et Socits.
Mon rve est de devenir un leader sur la scne internationale pour la dfense des intrts de lAfrique et des
communauts les plus marginalises. Mon souci est donc
de runir les qualits et les comptences ncessaires
pour nourrir mon ambition.
Centres dintrt: Questions lies aux ingalits en

Afrique et dans le monde, films documentaires.
Ma citation: Il ny a de richesses que dhommes,
Jean Bodin, philosophe et thoricien politique franais
du XVIe sicle.
Site prfr: www.cta.int
Le CTA travers ses actions plurisectorielles rve dune
Afrique heureuse et dun monde sans misre ni famine.
Renseignements:
Courriel: rivaldo.kpadonou@gmail.com
Blog: http://www.toundeblog.blogspot.com
Les paysans ACP ont toujours t pris pour des agriculteurs de subsistance produisant uniquement pour leurs
propres besoins alimentaires. Mais cette ralit nest plus
lordre du jour. Lpoque de lagriculture de subsistance
est rvolue. Il est rare de voir aujourdhui un paysan ACP
produire uniquement pour lautoconsommation de lunit
familiale. Lconomie de march a pntr les campagnes
les plus recules des pays ACP. Les paysans doivent aujourdhui jouer avec les paramtres du march. Or, le mieux
servi dans une conomie de march est celui qui dtient
linformation.
| 52

laccs au march des produits agricoles du Bnin?
Lagriculture est une composante essentielle des conomies africaines. Au Bnin, tout en tant le premier rservoir demplois, le secteur agricole constitue galement
la principale source de cration de richesses conomiques
avec une contribution de 80% aux recettes dexportation
(FAO, 2009). Mais, malgr ce contexte conomique caractris par la prpondrance du secteur agricole, lagriculture bninoise est confronte des dfis majeurs
lis laugmentation de la production et lamlioration
des moyens dexistence des populations rurales qui sappauvrissent davantage, avec des risques majeurs dinscurit alimentaire.
Toutefois, il y a toujours lieu desprer, surtout en ce qui
concerne les mnages ruraux agricoles. En ralit, la
demande croissante de produits agricoles offre dimportantes possibilits pour amliorer les conditions de vie
des communauts rurales. La valorisation de ces opportunits requiert de nouvelles technologies de production
et le respect des normes de qualit (Stienen et al., 2007;
Masuki, 2010). cet effet, il ne fait aucun doute que laccs efficace des producteurs au march est une condition
indispensable. En effet, de nombreuses tudes ont montr
que les imperfections du march, se traduisant par des
asymtries dinformation et des cots de transactions,
nincitent pas les paysans de meilleurs choix technologiques, ncessaires pour des gains de productivit
et de rentabilit (Zeller et al., 1997; Rashid et Elder,
2009; Masuki, 2010). Il sensuit un dcouragement des
producteurs qui, de par leur adversit au risque, optent
pour des stratgies du type safety first (Rapport,
1993). Mais, ce faisant, ils adoptent des techniques de
productionnon favorables un dveloppement agricole
durable, gage de la croissance conomique et de la lutte
contre la pauvret et la faim en Afrique subsaharienne.
Cependant, dnormes possibilits existent pour amliorer
laccs des producteurs au march. Les nouvelles technologies de linformation et de la communication (NTIC)
constituent un potentiel trs important (Masuki et al.,
2010). Cela comprend lutilisation des ordinateurs, dInternet, du systme dinformation gographique (SIG), de
la tlphonie mobile, ainsi que des mdias traditionnels
comme la radio ou la tlvision. Bien quellles soient un
phnomne relativement nouveau, les preuves de la contribution des NTIC au dveloppement agricole et la
rduction de la pauvret sont de plus en plus disponibles
(Stienen et al., 2007). En effet, les NTIC favorisent laccs

linformation et incitent la vrit des prix sur les
marchs des matires premires, des intrants et des produits agricoles. Elles permettent galement aux populations rurales de sinformer sur les tendances actuelles et
futures de la consommation, de la demande et de loffre
des produits agricoles. De ce fait, les NTIC permettent
aux producteurs de prendre des dcisions convenables
concernant les matires premires, les futures rcoltes
et aussi les meilleurs lieux et priodes de vente et dachat
des biens (Stienen et al., 2007).
Mais si, incontestablement, les NTIC en gnral constituent une opportunit pour amliorer laccs au march
des produits agricoles, la tlphonie mobile suscite un
intrt particulier et investit davantage les communauts
rurales. Ce moyen de communication, jadis considr
comme tant lapanage des populations urbaines plus ou
moins aises, devient de plus en plus loutil courant dinformation et de communication des populations rurales.
Sa commodit lui confre un avantage comparatif sur les
autres techniques modernes dinformation et de communication. Selon Masuki (2010), lutilisation du tlphone
mobile est trs apprcie par les ruraux parce quil constitue un outil facile, rapide et convenable pour communiquer et obtenir des solutions promptes et efficaces pour
leurs diffrents problmes. Cest un outil plus accessible
et moins coteux pour rduire la fracture numrique
entre les populations rurales et urbaines, dune part, et
entre le Nord et le Sud, dautre part (Wade, 2004). La
vitesse extrmement leve avec laquelle le tlphone
mobile investit la vie des populations rurales en dit long.
Daprs Gillwaid et Esselaar (2005), les Africains consentent payer une proportion plus leve de leur revenu
pour soffrir un tlphone mobile que les Occidentaux.
Une autre tude ralise par Wade (2004) a montr
quenviron 1 africain sur 5 possde un tlphone portable.
Au Bnin, presque tous les villages sont couverts par au
moins un rseau GSM.
Malheureusement, beaucoup des services offerts par la
tlphonie mobile restent trs peu connus ou utiliss par
les acteurs du monde agricole au Bnin. Cest le cas par
exemple des SMS multiples via lordinateur. Cette
technique consiste envoyer des SMS multiples et simultans un ensemble dindividus grce la synchronisation des fonctionnalits du tlphone mobile et de
53 |
celles de lordinateur. Cette synchronisation est assure

grce des logiciels spcifiques qui permettent de manipuler directement le tlphone mobile partir de lordinateur et aussi daccrotre le dbit dmission des SMS
multiples du tlphone. En ralit, les tlphones mobiles
possdent traditionnellement une fonction de messagerie
multiple, mais avec un dbit assez faible. De plus, la
mmoire de la carte mre du tlphone mobile a une trs
faible capacit de stockage de numros que la synchronisation avec lordinateur permet daccrotre. Ce systme
dinformation et de communication est encore trs mal
connu au Bnin. Il est gnralement utilis par les oprateurs GSM pour envoyer des notes dinformation ou des
messages publicitaires leurs abonns. Toutefois,
quelques structures fatires y ont recours pour communiquer avec les responsables des organisations paysannes. Cest le cas par exemple du Conseil rgional des
riziculteurs qui utilise les SMS multiples via lordinateur
dans un cadre trs restreint pour informer les responsables des groupements des sances de runion. Or avec
le taux actuel de pntration de la tlphonie mobile dans
les milieux ruraux et les nombreux dfis lis laccs au
march des petites exploitations, une extension de ce
systme constitue une grande opportunit pour rduire
les asymtries dinformation et amliorer laccs des paysans au march. En effet, lextension de la messagerie
multiple via lordinateur servira, pour les structures dappui-conseil, de canal plus efficace pour assurer la diffusion
des informations relatives aux prix, loffre et la
demande des produits agricoles sur les marchs locaux,
rgionaux ou internationaux.
Mais cette extension requiert la collecte lchelle rgionale des adresses tlphoniques des producteurs (ou
autres acteurs) abonns aux rseaux GSM et leur stockage dans un rpertoire central de base de donnes
partir duquel des informations relatives au march des
produits agricoles peuvent tre diffuses via des SMS.
La leve de certaines barrires institutionnelles et sociolinguistiques est par ailleurs ncessaire pour la russite
dun tel projet. Ainsi, la vulgarisation et la formation des
structures dappui et des acteurs la base sont indispensables. Des tudes ont dailleurs rvl que lignorance
des producteurs constitue la contrainte majeure lutilisation des SMS (Galperin et Mariscal, 2007; Zainudeen,
2008). Outre quil faut vulgariser et former les diffrents
acteurs sur la technique des SMS multiples via lordina-
| 54
teur, les contraintes linguistiques sont aussi des lments

trs importants prendre compte en vue dune utilisation
grande chelle de cette technique. Selon Masuki et al.
(2010) les principaux facteurs qui limitent lutilisation du
tlphone mobile par les populations rurales sont la
langue et lanalphabtisme. Ce dernier est voqu dans
de nombreuses autres tudes comme tant le frein
majeur lutilisation des SMS par les communauts rurales (Ashraf et al., 2005 ; Frempong et al., 2007;Gakuru
et al., 2009).
De ce fait, un intrt particulier doit tre accord la
scolarisation des enfants et lalphabtisation des populations rurales en langues nationales. En outre, la localisation des NTIC et surtout la conception des tlphones
mobiles en langues nationales constituent des options
stratgiques trs importantes pour amliorer laccs des
produits agricoles au march grce lutilisation grande
chelle des SMS. En effet, tant donn que la prsence
des NTIC en Afrique stend au-del des villes, il y a une
ncessit croissante de les adapter lusage des diverses
langues africaines (CRDI, 2010). Des exemples trs difiants existent dj au Nigeria o les tlphones mobiles
sont depuis fort longtemps disponibles dans les principales langues locales telles que le yorb, lIigbo ou le
hausa. Par ailleurs, mme si toutes les contraintes sociolinguistiques sont leves, il est important que le paysan
soit en permanence joignable sur son tlphone en vue
de recevoir instantanment des messages dinformation.
Malheureusement, cela nest gnralement pas le cas au
Bnin, surtout pour les populations rurales en raison de
leur non-accs lnergie lectrique. Le manque daccs
lnergie constitue une contrainte non ngligeable dans
le cadre de lextension du systme des SMS multiples via
lordinateur. En gnral, les mnages agricoles parcourent
des kilomtres de distance avant davoir accs lnergie
pour recharger leur tlphone. Dans la plupart des cas,
les batteries des tlphones mobiles sont charges avec
des courants alternatifs fournis par des groupes lectrognes. Il en rsulte une dtrioration prcoce de
celles-ci, mettant souvent les tlphones hors dusage.
Dans ces conditions, il y a de fortes chances que les paysans se retrouvent de temps autre injoignables sur leur
tlphone. Ceci, ajout aux effets des autres contraintes,
affectera sans conteste lefficacit du systme et par
consquent laccs des producteurs au march.
http://photo.cta.int/media/thumbs/photos/7/c/a762eda4ce50997d5bf6a6368578b080aa72951cfb39ed7380fd31a16e94bf_jpg_640x640_q85.jpg
55 |
Inoussa Traor
Burkina Faso, West Africa
Ma conviction est que la vritable richesse de nos pays cest la jeunesse des populations, nous sommes donc le futur.
Je suis un jeune Burkinab g de 25 ans, jai grandi dans

un village de la boucle du Mouhoun au Burkina Faso, o
jai effectu mon cole primaire et une partie du secondaire. Lautre partie du secondaire a eu lieu au Lyce
Ouzzin Coulibaly de Bobo-Dioulasso (capitale
conomique du Burkina Faso).
Titulaire dun baccalaurat srie C, jai dcid de poursuivre des tudes universitaires en Sciences conomiques
et gestion lUniversit de Ouagadougou.
Aprs avoir obtenu mon Diplme dtudes approfondies
en Macroconomie applique, je prpare actuellement
une thse de doctorat au Laboratoire danalyses et de
politiques conomiques (LAPE) de lUniversit Ouaga II.
Je suis par ailleurs assistant de recherche, charg
dtudes et de formation lAssociation pour la promotion
des TIC Yam Pukri.
Le choix de traiter la problmatique de laccs aux
marchs des produits agricoles sous langle de laccs
linformation est li ma formation dconomiste et
certaines tudes que jai suivies sur les bases de donnes.
En effet, en conomie, on nous enseigne que linformation
joue un rle capital dans tout mcanisme de march. Je
me suis donc dit que, si les producteurs agricoles avaient
davantage accs linformation utile et dcisionnelle et
de faon symtrique (absence dasymtrie dinformation
entre les acteurs), alors ils commercialiseraient mieux
leurs produits.
| 56
Depuis ma quatrime anne duniversit, je mne beaucoup de recherches sur le thme des TIC. Cest dans la
logique de ces recherches que jai rdig mon article pour
le concours ARDYIS pour lequel jai t finaliste pour la
rgion Afrique de lOuest.
Centres dintrt: En plus de ma passion pour la science
conomique, jaime le football, la philosophie et lhistoire
des civilisations. Jai aussi confiance en la dmocratie
comme mode de gouvernance capable dimpulser le
dveloppement de nos nations.
Ma citation prfre est celle que mon pre mettait au
bas de ses lettres chaque fois quil mcrivait, je cite:
cur vaillant, rien dimpossible.
Ma devise est donc ceci:Les choses sont plus difficiles
du fait que nous nosons pas que du fait que nous osons.
Site prfr: http://www.yam-pukri.org
Cest le site de mon association Cette association est un
vritable incubateur pour de nombreux jeunes Burkinabs
et de la sous-rgion ouest- africaine.
Renseignements:
O9 BP 1170, Ouagadougou 09
E-mail: traore.inoussa02@gmail.com
Blog: http://traoreinoussa.blogspot.com

laccs au march des produits agricoles du Burkina Faso ?
Le pays dtude est le Burkina Faso. Cest un pays denviron 274000 km2 situ en Afrique occidentale dans la
boucle du fleuve Niger. Lconomie du pays repose essentiellement sur le secteur primaire, notamment lagriculture. Le dernier recensement gnral de la population et
de lhabitat a montr que le pays compte prs de 15 millions dhabitants dont 80% vivent en milieu rural. La
caractristique majeure du milieu rural au Burkina Faso
est la place quy occupe lagriculture. En effet, les activits
agricoles permettent de nombreuses familles rurales
dassurer leurs besoins alimentaires. De plus, elles
demeurent la principale activit qui occupe les populations. Toutefois, lagriculture burkinab fait face de
nombreuses contraintes parmi lesquelles figure celle de
laccs au march des produits agricoles. Ce problme
est dailleurs repris dans lun des axes du cadre
stratgique de lutte contre la pauvret en ces termes:
Lobjectif du Burkina est de transformer son agriculture
en passant dune agriculture de subsistance une agriculture de march et assurer ainsi une croissance soutenue du secteur rural en vue de contribuer la lutte
contre la pauvret, au renforcement de la scurit alimentaire et la promotion dun dveloppement durable.
De nos jours, lessor des nouvelles technologies de linformation et de la communication offre de nouvelles
opportunits au milieu rural en gnral et au secteur
agricole en particulier. Mme si certains auteurs ont mis
en garde contre lventualit dune fracture numrique
entre milieu urbain et milieu rural, force est de reconnatre que la nature des TIC fait que de nouvelles opportunits peuvent tre saisies, notamment dans le domaine
de la commercialisation des produits agricoles. Lune des
principales conclusions du premier forum TIC et
Agriculture31 sur le thme Nouvelles technologies et
organisations paysannes : ltat des lieux au Burkina
Faso a dailleurs t que, dans les milieux domins par
lanalphabtisme et la grande mobilit, le tlphone
mobile a trouv ses lettres de noblesse en simposant
comme outil incontournable pour les changes, lobtention dinformations agricoles et mme la commercialisation de produits agricoles. Ainsi donc, la diffusion des TIC
en milieu rural est en marche malgr des problmes
infrastructurels et danalphabtisme.
Dans la suite de cet expos, nous montrerons dabord

quels sont les canaux par lesquels les TIC peuvent
amliorer laccs au march des produits agricoles au
Burkina Faso et nous formulerons ensuite une
recommandation.
La problmatique de laccs au march et de la commercialisation des produits agricoles sest pose au Burkina
Faso bien avant lessor des TIC. Avec lavnement des
TIC, des initiatives ont t prises diffrents niveaux
pour offrir des services TIC au monde agricole. Les premiers usages des TIC en milieu agricole consistaient en
lutilisation de ces technologies pour sensibiliser les producteurs aux bonnes pratiques culturales, les prvisions
mtorologiques, etc. Aujourdhui, les TIC commencent
tre utilises pour amliorer laccs au march des
produits agricoles. La question qui se pose est donc la
suivante: comment un tel accs peut-il tre amlior par
les TIC ?
Le principal canal par lequel les TIC peuvent amliorer
laccs au march des produits agricoles est celui de linformation. Lune des caractristiques des marchs agricoles est labsence dinformation ou lasymtrie dinformation. Les TIC peuvent rsoudre ce problme dinformation de plusieurs manires.

Les informations agricoles sur la Web TV, la radio

et sur support multimdia (DVD, cdrom). Les
informations concernent le prix des produits, la
disponibilit des stocks, la qualit, lorigine, etc.
Sur ce point, des exemples existent au Burkina
Faso; cest notamment le cas de linitiative TV
Koodo qui a permis de diffuser les prix des produits agricoles sur Internet et la tlvision nationale et aussi de lONG APROSSA-Afrique verte, qui
possde galement une liste de diffusion permettant dinformer le monde agricole sur la situation
des marchs agricoles. Un autre exemple est le
dispositif SIM (Systme dinformation sur les
marchs) de la SONAGESS (Socit nationale de
gestion du stock de scurit alimentaire). Ce systme publie rgulirement sur un site web32 les
prix des crales.
31. RapportparS.Oudraogo,2009.Nouvellestechnolo
giesetorganisationspasannes:ltatdeslieuxauBurkinaFaso.
32. www.resimao.org
57 |
La traabilit des produits agricoles. Lune des contraintes lies la commercialisation de certains
produits agricoles est la celle de la qualit et des
normes. Lavnement du GPS offre une solution
ce problme car il permet la traabilit des produits
et facilite ainsi lobtention de certifications sur la
qualit, toutes choses qui favorisent la commercialisation. Au Burkina Faso, certaines associations
de productrices ont pu obtenir des certifications
grce ce dispositif.
Aprs un examen des diffrents canaux par lesquels

les TIC peuvent amliorer laccs au march des produits agricoles, nous formulons la recommandation
ci-aprs.
Vente et achat de produits agricoles en ligne. Les

TIC permettent louverture au march international
travers Internet. Internet peut permettre ainsi aux
producteurs dobtenir des contrats en provenance
du monde entier. Aujourdhui, certains groupements
de producteurs burkinab ont pu crer leur site web
sur lequel ils font la promotion de leurs produits.
Vente et achat de produits agricoles via le tlphone

portable (SMS, appels). Internet tant peu prsent
dans le monde rural et moyennement utilis dans
les villes, une alternative consiste dans lusage du
tlphone portable pour la circulation des informations et la conclusion des contrats. La Chambre de
commerce du Burkina Faso a dailleurs initi un projet
dans ce sens, dnomm Affaires mobiles, qui
permet dinformer par SMS les commerants sur les
prix locaux et internationaux des produits.
Notre proposition consiste en la mise en place dun observatoire des marchs et produits agricoles. Lobservatoire
est un outil daide la dcision comportant une base de
donnes. Ces donnes sont codifies et programmes
sur un logiciel de gestion de base de donnes tel que
Microsoft Access. Ainsi, les utilisateurs de cet outil peuvent obtenir des informations en effectuant simplement
des requtes sur le logiciel. La mise en place dun tel
observatoire trouve sa justification dans le fait quil existe
plusieurs sources dinformation, chacune prenant en
compte uniquement une partie des informations.
Lobservatoire devra centraliser lensemble des informations provenant de ces diffrentes sources dans une seule
base qui sera rgulirement mise jour et qui pourra
fournir tout instant lensemble des informations sur
tous les aspects de tous les produits sur toute ltendue
du territoire. Lobservatoire sera donc un vritable outil
daide la dcision pour lensemble des utilisateurs,
savoir du producteur qui vend directement sa production
jusquaux exportateurs de produits agricoles, en passant
par les commerants intermdiaires et les courtiers. La
mise jour rgulire de la base de donnes permettra
aux acteurs de disposer de toutes ces informations en
temps rel.
Promotion et publicit des produits agricoles. En plus

des canaux traditionnels de publicit (tlvision,
radio, etc.), Internet offre aujourdhui un espace publicitaire de porte mondiale, et de fait peut permettre
aux produits agricoles daccder facilement nimporte quel type de march. Certains groupements
de femmes au Burkina Faso utilisent dailleurs ce
canal pour couler leurs produits base de karit.
En conclusion, nous pouvons dire que les TIC sont de

puissants outils qui peuvent faciliter laccs linformation et sa diffusion, permettre laccs de nouveaux
marchs, amliorer la visibilit et la publicit des produits agricoles. Lespoir que suscite lutilisation des TIC
pourrait tre encore plus grand si la diffusion de ces
technologies saccompagnait dun accroissement des
niveaux dalphabtisation et de scolarisation.
Bibliographie et rfrences
Cadre stratgique de lutte contre la pauvret, 2004.
http : // www.burkina-ntic.org
Oudraogo Sylvestre, Nouvelles technologies et organisations paysannes: ltat des lieux au Burkina Faso,
54 p., Burkina NTIC (novembre 2009), Ouagadougou,
Burkina Faso.
http: // www.yam-pukri.org
| 58
http : // www.iafric.net
Gerald Mangena
Zimbabwe,
Southern Africa
I am more determined to see my
vision/dream, the Afro Dream,
become a reality, whereby any
inhabitable place in Africa
provides its inhabitants with any
product or service that is locally
developed/produced or can be
found anywhere in the world.
I grew up in a small town called Marondera, only 75km
east of the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare. I always wondered why we had to travel to the capital for basic services, and why people perceived travelling to the capital
a preserve of the rich. If Harare had been developed, why
could they not develop Marondera too? As I celebrate
my 25th birthday in June this year, I am more convinced
that any place inhabited by humans should be fully developed economically, technologically, and socially.
Thanks to ARDYIS, I received a wealth of information
including the learning (especially Web 2.0). I gained a
fuller understanding of the significance of rural development and how ICTs come in. It made me get a clearer
picture of my personal dream for Africa. I had the oppor-
tunity to present my ideas and to be heard by an international jury. That was quite an honour and I travelled
to countries I had never been to before.
What I expected is that the agriculture and rural development sector must be managed professionally just like
any other sector, such as the financial sector or the tourism sector, so that they feel proud to be professionals
involved in achieving something meaningful. ICT can
increase the interest of youth. However ICTs cannot
replace the experience required by farmers for the sector
to be productive. They will still have to learn by doing,
no matter how many ICTs they use.
ARDYIS led me to appreciate better the role of youth
in agriculture and rural development and the role of ICTs.
Interests :
Technology; agriculture; rural and economic development; nature; lawn tennis.
Motto/ Quote : Money has never changed the heart
of man; if hes a no man, hell always be a no man. By
Gerald Mangena
Favourite website : www.cta.int
Contact information :
gerrymangena@gmail.com
gerrymangena.blogspot.com
59 |
How can ICTs be used to improve access to market for

agricultural products in Zimbabwe?
Summary
ICTs can be used to improve access to agricultural markets in Zimbabwe, provided solutions consider the three
types of farmers - newly resettled, communal and commercial farmers - , possible markets and kind of technology.
Markets link home consumers to exports. Mobile phone penetration is high, mostly among young people and will
be an effective tool to notify farmers about the latest prices in major markets. On-line or off-line training can be
given to literate farmers by experts from the national organization called AREX (Agricultural Research Extension).
Buyers also need to be informed so that farmers can upload and send information on products and prices to be
disseminated widely via the internet. Zimtrade can help in this venture. Access will depend on internet infrastructure in regions with electricity whilst other regions will depend on the mobile phone. Telecentres in rural areas
will promote information exchange by young farmers. Illiterate farmers can also secure markets for their produce
with help from centre managers.
It is 7:00 in the morning, and a 28 year old Zimbabwean

new farmer gets up to prepare for the day. This season
she expects a good 500 tonnes of high quality potatoes.
Today will be her first day of selling and she is still wondering where all these potatoes will be sold. She takes
out her mobile phone, sends an instruction via Short
Message Services (SMS) and in a short moment, a big
grin appears on her face as she has just received a confirmation of an order to supply a tonne of potatoes each
week for the next twelve weeks, thanks to a service introduced by a local software company in partnership with
mobile phone service providers, to help match farmers
offers with buyers needs.
Elsewhere in the communal lands, which are some of the
least developed areas in Zimbabwe, a young boy aged 16
who is a communal farmer walks into a telecentre
(recently commissioned by an international donor) with
an ox-drawn cart full of good quality vegetables. He presents his case to the manager of the centre who then takes
his details. On her desk there is a computer connected
to a server located in the city using Broadband over
Power Line (BPL) last-mile technology, suitable for
smaller communities which do not use high volume data.
After searching through the database, she finds and
sends an email to a potential buyer notifying him about
the available vegetables. The buyer, who is located at the
nearest town, receives the order and sends a confirmation
as to the time he will come to collect the produce.
The above two scenarios reflect just how ICTs could be
used in the short to midterm in improving access to markets for agriculture in Zimbabwe. However, to avoid total
and partial failure in the use of ICTs to achieve this noble
| 60
objective, whereby the intended beneficiaries end up not

using the technologies at all and resources being wasted,
the solutions must be guided by three key elements that
are intertwined and fundamentally inseparable: types of
farmers, possible markets, and the kinds of technology
that can be placed in between. In Zimbabwe, there are
predominantly three types of farmers: a) the newly resettled farmers, whose literacy levels are average especially
in terms of developments in technology; b) the communal
farmers, mostly very young people and the elderly, who
survive on agriculture only and whose literacy levels are
very low; and c) the commercial farmers, comprising
mostly youths and middle aged persons, whose literacy
levels are high and treat farming as serious business.
Thus ICT solutions presented herein take into consideration these differences. As for the markets, there are
middle men, public market places, home consumers,
agri-processing companies and the export market too.
Likewise, ICT solutions for better access to agricultural
markets must take this into cognisance. Finally, the current and potential ICT infrastructure landscape of
Zimbabwe needs to be taken into account, since any ICT
solution will largely depend on this.
Overall, Zimbabwe has now managed to bridge the digital divide between the rich and poor by the provision
of very affordable mobile phone services, coupled with
serious network expansion, such that almost every area
now has network coverage of at least one of the three
service providers. Currently Zimbabwe has an ICT penetration rate of 40 % and is experiencing unprecedented growth of 10 mobile phones per 100 people: the
majority of these are young people. Thus an effective
solution will be that which makes use of mobile phone
applications as they are widespread in Zimbabwe.

Software can be locally developed that can match a
farmers offer and a buyers needs, taking into account
details such as, though not limited to, price, quantity,
quality and location. The application can be used in
notifying farmers on the latest market prices prevailing
at the major market places around the country so that
they may plan better, based on the selling patterns.
This solution is suitable for all the types of farmers of
any age in Zimbabwe and it is very cost effective.
The challenge in making these solutions feasible lies in

the availability of infrastructure that supports affordable
internet services. This can be overcome if broadband
over power line (BPL) technology is implemented (as was
done in South Africa in 2005). BPL relies on the existing
infrastructure of electricity power lines and has bandwidth speeds of up to 200Mbps. This will be suitable in
areas where there is electricity conveyed by copper
power lines. For those areas without power lines, the
alternative is to rely on mobile phone applications.
Applications/Information Systems, either online or offline,

can be built with the aid of experts from the Agricultural
Research Extension (AREX). These applications will be
more or less like Expert Systems that can even train
farmers on how to produce any crop, but most importantly, they may be used to communicate market advice
to the more literate commercial farmers and even the
new farmers (though to a limited extent due to literacy
levels) via the internet. One may think that perhaps the
cost of buying the computers may be high for the young
new farmer or communal farmer, but wait until they hear
that the Indian Institute of Technology has developed
the worlds cheapest laptop that will be on sale in 2011
at a price of US $35, which is expected to come down to
US $20. In Zimbabwe, customs duty was scrapped on all
ICT goods and thus this solution becomes very affordable
to the majority of these farmers.
The establishment of telecentres in rural areas (including

remote areas) will prove to be beneficial to the young
farmers located there. Telecentres offer services such
as fax, internet, typing, printing and scanning, and they
are information centres, more like a research library. The
centres can have computers connected to online agricultural databases containing details of farmers and what
they produce, and also details of buyers located within
that particular area or nearby towns, and information
such as their prices and order quantities. Local farmers,
regardless of literacy levels, may simply walk in and get
assistance from telecentre managers to secure buyers
for their produce. They may also come to simply notify
buyers as to the availability of products. As for the communications infrastructure, BPL, satellite or radio links
may be used as these can support simple data transfer.
Whilst the farmer needs to be updated on latest market

conditions, the buyers need also to know of what is
available. Therefore, the farmers, with the aid of AREX
or organisations such as Zimtrade (which facilitates
smooth trade in Zimbabwe) can use the mobile applications or an application/information system to register
and upload information about the farmers produce
and expected yields. This information can be relayed,
via internet or SMS, to screens which would be located
at the public market places, or directly to mail boxes
of agents/middle men, agri-processing companies and
even importers of Zimbabwean produce. The two-way
process will improve the market forces mechanism such
that both farmers and customers get the best deals.
In conclusion, it is quite apparent that the use of ICTs will

leapfrog access to better markets for agricultural produce
by all stakeholders in the agricultural sector. However,
the implementation must be a carefully phased process,
with the full utilisation of currently available, implementable and feasible technologies, the establishment
of electronic agriculture bodies (which will spearhead
research, development and promotion of better uses of
ICTs in agriculture), followed by educating the farmers.
The last stage would be to evaluate the business side of
all these technologies since, for sure the business potential is high. This whole process is an overwhelming phenomenon that requires patience and this has led the
author to term it breeding of markets.
Bibliography/Reference
1. International Journal of Education and Development
using Information and Communication Technology
(IJEDICT), 2005, Vol. 1, Issue I, pp. 101-107
2. Electronic/Mobile Government in Africa: Building
Capacity in Knowledge Management Through Partnership,2009, http://www.unpan.org/em gkr_africa
3. The Business Diary, June 2010 Issue

4. Web brainstorm, December 2006/January 2007
Issue, pp. 46 47
5. Zimbabwe e-Readiness Survey Report, May 2005,
6. Horticulture Newsletter, January 2010, Issue 2
7. Horticulture Newsletter, June 2010, Issue 3
61 |
Raymond Erick Zvavanyange

Zimbabwe,
Southern Africa
Youths must be committed to
their specific disciplines. Youths
should use whatever avenues they
have to make a difference. Youths
must learn from experienced farmers and persons involved in agriculture. Mere talk is unacceptable.
Youths must do it.
I am a second born child in a family of five children.
Growing up in a high density suburb in Zimbabwe with
my neighbourhood friends gave me the social, playful
character which sometimes crops up in my academic and
professional life. I passed though my teenage years pretty
fast with a growing realization that I have capabilities to
excel. I am inspired by people with an open mind, reminding me of endless possibilities, if you work hard. I give
special mention to my religion as well. In the words of my
former lecturer at University, I am someone who does
things out of his own volition.
Favourite Quote : Many young people fail to achieve in

life because they attempt little paraphrase from writings
of Ellen G. White
Blog : raymonderickzvavanyange.blogspot.com
The summary of my vision, and steps I make towards
achievement of this goal. In short, my do your best.
Social Networks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zvavanyanger3
Twitter: zvavanyanger3
E-mail address: zvavanyanger3@gmail.com
I chose to deal with ICTs and marketing in Zimbabwe

because this is new field. ICTs can integrate the different
marketing strategies and programmes being promoted
by public, private and non-governmental institutions,
overcoming hurdles such bureaucracy and the personnel
involved in traditional marketing systems.
My vision is to be an international consultant or scientist
in animal science with a thorough understanding of agricultural puzzles.
My Interests
Ruminant nutrition & agriculture
Writing, Editing & Publishing
Higher Education
Information, Communication & Technology (ICT)
Consultancy
Indigenous Knowledge
| 62
Raymond in front of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Center,

Ghana during the CTA ARDYIS Youth Training and Exchange
Workshop on Web 2.0

agricultural products in Zimbabwe?
Summary
Zimbabwes agriculture is pivotal to economic growth and ICT is a key to development in rural areas, where
70% of the population resides. Mobile phones can put producers of perishable agricultural products in touch
with buyers, for improved marketing. Farmers can form groups and meet buyers at a central point. With computers and the internet, producers can use Google Earth, Skype and video conferencing to interact with other
producers worldwide. They can also create their website or subscribe to sites promoting marketing for increased
interaction. Producer forums can link producers and other stakeholders to local, regional and global markets.
ICT roadshows combined with other attractions can be used to inform youths and rural communities about
developments in agriculture, including remote regions. A farmer can also create his own website to market his
product. Radio networks can be used for marketing and radio shows to present role models to encourage new
entrants in agriculture.
Introduction
Zimbabwean agriculture
Todays agricultural challenges demand solutions that

are producer driven, least-cost and adaptable to local
communities in order to close the gap between the rapidly increasing human population and the diminishing
food resource base. In Zimbabwe agriculture plays a pivotal role in economic growth, such that any development
initiative has to be agriculture-driven. Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) are one such development initiative, and are a key to future rural development in Zimbabwe. In this essay, the issue or question
agricultural products from Zimbabwe is discussed. It
must be borne in mind that ICTs can only be effective
when their shortcomings are addressed. This essay is
presented in four parts namely: what are ICTs,
Zimbabwean agriculture, ICTs policy in Zimbabwe, and
ICTs and agriculture.
Zimbabwe is divided into five agro-climatic regions (or

Natural Regions) on the basis of agriculture potential,
chiefly rainfall (Vincent and Thomas, 1965; FAO/PRP,
2010). Natural Regions (NR) I and II receive higher and
more reliable rainfall and are suitable for intensive systems of farming based on crops and/or livestock. Rainfall
in NR III, IV and V is low, and these areas are home to
many rural communities. 70 % of Zimbabwes population
resides in rural communities. The country produces much
of its own food, except in years when drought affects
maize and wheat production. The staple food crop is
maize though other cereal crops such as barley, millet,
sorghum, and wheat are used by households. Zimbabwe
exports tobacco, coffee, sugar cane, flowers (roses), sugar
and cotton. The remarkable feature about Zimbabwes
agriculture is that both young and old have taken agriculture as a full-time job, especially after the government-initiated Land Reform Programme in 2000.
What are ICTs?
ICT Policy in Zimbabwe
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) define ICTs as the new or advanced
technologies that enhance the dissemination or creation
of information and communication. In essence, ICTs are
broad and include the popular communication technologies
(internet, mobile phones, computers, Global Positioning
Systems, etc) in combination with traditional communication technologies (radio, television, written press, video,
etc). As alluded to earlier on, if ICTs are to provide solutions
to agriculture they need to respect the limited shelf life of
agricultural products (meat, eggs, milk, flowers, etc).
At national level, ICTs have been adopted through the

creation of the Ministry of Information, Communication
and Technology headed by a government minister, Mr.
Nelson Chamisa. The ICT Ministry has the mandate of
formulating ICT policies and strategies, and regulating
all ICTs work in Zimbabwe. It develops and spearheads
ICT-oriented programmes through and across government ministries and state corporations such as Pig
Industry Board, Agribank and Grain Marketing Board.
Each ministry, division and department has its own ICT
63 |
structures and personnel. For instance, in the Ministry

of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development,
in the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services,
under the Veterinary Services Division, there is the
Information Management Unit (IMU) which deals with
functions related to ICTs, including service and repair of
work machines and equipment. ICT structures can be
found at national, provincial, district and ward level.
Non-governmental agencies have also come on board in
ICT use and adoption. The notable example is that of
Kubatana Trust (CTA, 2009), which developed the
Freedom Fone, which uses the interactive voice response
(IVR) technology. Anyone can call the service to leave an
audio message, to listen to messages from others, or
listen to the information provided by Kubatana Trust. This
is a social platform, but the idea can be modified to suit
agriculture. Private companies can use social platforms
to interact with producers when searching for out-growers and contract producers. Companies that can co-lead
such initiatives include Irvines Private Limited (poultry);
Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company and Windmill (fertilizers
and agro-chemicals); National Foods, AgriFoods and Blue
Ribbon Foods (stock feed companies) and Logistical
Companies (fuel and transport). Farmer organizations
such as the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU); Zimbabwe
Farmers Union (ZFU); and Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers
Union (ZCFU) can also join the platform in their respective
businesses.
ICTs in agriculture
Perishable agricultural products such as tomatoes, eggs
and milk can be quickly marketed through mobile phone
communication. Producers can communicate with potential buyers before the sell date, given the cheap cell phone
lines available on the market from local dealers; a new
line costs on average USD$2. Producers can use the Short
Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messages (MMS).
They can also form groups and arrange to meet with
buyers at a central point e.g. Mbare Musika in Harare,
Sakubva market in Mutare and Renkini market in
Bulawayo. A quick visit to these markets will reveal that
most of the licensed producers own mobile phones for
use in their private and business lives. Producers can also
get market updates from private companies through SMS.
Computers have revolutionized business today with the
advent of the World Wide Web and Internet. The following
can be done via the Internet: use of Google Earth to capture maps of producers fields by simply putting the coor-
| 64
dinates of the search area and use of Skype and Yahoo

Messenger facilities in live communication. Through video
conferencing, producers have the opportunity of live
interaction with producers in other parts of the world,
especially relevant in the context of value-chain and
input-supply promotion. A livestock producer in
Matebeleland North Province (favourable to livestock
production) can interact with a producer in Manicaland
Province (favourable to both crop and livestock production), locations which are 500km apart. Producers can
also create and subscribe to websites that promote marketing activities and thus interact through e-newsletters,
bulletins and updates. E-newsletters can be used to document producer success stories and/or experiences and
the message carried far through a mouse click.
Virtual rooms in the form of producer forums, where
products in season are marketed, can be established
through ICTs. This will give producers and stakeholders
the opportunity to link with local, regional and global
markets. Producers forums are beneficial as they can be
entered upon regardless of gender. Price comparisons
can be done and less known agricultural products (e.g.
mushrooms and grain amaranth) are put on the same
platform as popular agricultural products (maize, soyabeans, tobacco and roses). E-marketing zones can be
created covering similar geographical, administrative,
livelihood, and agro-ecological zones; they boost investor
confidence and thus secure new markets for producers.
Road shows showcasing ICTs help to bring youths and
rural communities in touch with the developments in
agriculture. Producers can congregate at a central place
where a road show can be complemented with producer
attractions such field days, shows, fairs and demonstrations. Here, crop and livestock products can be exhibited.
Road shows have the advantage that they can be organized with limited resources; address a specific target
group (in this case, producers); encourage competition
(which increases the selling price of products); reach
remote parts of the country (can be held at Rural Business
Centers, Community Halls, and Schools); and are effective
at delivering a single message (marketing). Other promotional marketing activities can be done at the road
show such as distributing fliers, posters, T-shirts and
pamphlets, with ICTs messages, and these remain in the
community after the road show has ended.
Through the social networking platforms such as Twitter,
Blogs, Facebook and Google Chat, producers can communicate, share experiences and penetrate new markets
using the internet facilities in their areas. A producer can

market his products on his or her website which can be
accessed in other parts of the country or the world. The
use of Visa credit cards (Wire Transfers) facilitate buying
and selling of agricultural products. Producers can also
market Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) and Compact Discs
(CDs) that detail their farming experience.
Radio networks can be used in marketing of products
through live radio programmes, which can take the
form of expert panels. The traditional communication
technologies (radios, television, written press, video,

etc) promote products; successful producers are used
as role models to encourage entry of new producers
and buyers in agriculture.
Conclusion
It can be seen that ICTs in Zimbabwe interlink with agriculture in so many ways such that their adoption in
improving access to agricultural markets is the best
option for the country.
References
CTA. (2009). ICT Update. Issue 51. October 2009. http://
ictupdate.cta.int CTA, Wageningen the Netherlands.
FAO/PRP. (2010). Future Directions of Livestock Production in the Small Holder Sector of Zimbabwe.
Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation
Development. FAO. Zimbabwe.
Internet sources
Zimbabwe Agriculture, Information about Agriculture
in Zimbabwe http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/
economies/Africa/Zimbabwe-AGRICULTURE.
html#ixzz0ruKB9EK8
65 |
Aristide Z. ADAHA
Benin, West Africa
De plus en plus, les jeunes sorientent vers le secteur tertiaire au
dtriment de lagriculture car ils
estiment quavec lvolution des
technologies et la mondialisation
les mthodes actuellement utilises
en Afrique sont dpasses. La jeunesse veut donc un nouveau type
dagriculture qui puisse tre pratiqu avec des moyens modernes et
qui cre implicitement un nombre
important demplois dans le
domaine des services et des TIC.
Je suis n et jai grandi Fidjross, un quartier situ au
sud-ouest de Cotonou au Bnin. Aprs une formation
dordre gnral et lobtention de mon baccalaurat option
Comptabilit, comme tout nouveau bachelier, jai pass
les concours dentre dans les diverses coles. Je suis
donc entr en tant que boursier lcole nationale
dconomie applique et de management o jai suivi le
cycle 1 en Gestion des entreprises. tant issu dune famille
modeste et compte tenu du cot relativement lev des
tudes suprieures en Afrique en gnral et au Bnin en
particulier, je me suis trs tt mis faire des rptitions
pour les lves du cours secondaire.
Ensuite jai tour tour travaill comme comptable-gestionnaire de stocks dans une socit de distribution de
produits GSM, grant et DJ dune bote de nuit, puis jai
obtenu un poste de responsable des visites dans le sudest, au centre Songha spcialis dans la production
agricole et la formation de jeunes gens lagriculture
durable. Cependant, voyant mes possibilits dpanouissement et de dveloppement personnel se rduire sensiblement avec les exigences de mon poste, je suis revenu
Cotonou, o jai effectu un stage comme charg de
projets au Centre de promotion des investissements.
| 66
Ma passion pour laudiovisuel et lvnementiel ma

ensuite pouss, avec la collaboration de deux amis denfance, mettre sur pied une agence de ralisation et de
production audiovisuelles et dvnementiel dans laquelle
je suis charg des affaires commerciales.
Jaimerais, bien que ntant pas familiaris avec le
domaine agricole, contribuer lessor de ce secteur trs
important de lconomie de mon pays.
Mes centres dintrt :
Les TIC.
L audiovisuel.
http://www.oasisgroup.jimdo.com/
Ma citation :
Pensez et agissez comme sil tait impossible
dchouer, Charles F. Kettering : inventeur et dtenteur de 140 brevets et de doctorats honorifiques de 30
universits.
Mon site prfr : http://www.rfi.fr/
zodigbe@yahoo.fr
zodigbe@gmail.com
Amlioration de laccs au march des produits agricoles par

les TIC au Bnin
En Afrique, le secteur agricole saffiche comme le pilier
de lconomie des diffrents pays. En dpit de la chute
du prix des matires premires des annes 1980, la concurrence dloyale des produits subventionns des pays
dvelopps, lagriculture reste la charpente du dveloppement des PED. Cest galement le cas pour le Bnin
dont le pourcentage de la population active agricole tait
de 50,06 % dj en 2004, tandis que la part du PIB agricole dans le PIB total slevait 38,2 %. Mais une plthore
de problmes minent le dveloppement de lagriculture
bninoise : linsuffisance de politiques de soutien, la mdiocrit des services de vulgarisation, le rgime foncier et
laccs aux terres, laccs aux intrants, laccs limit au
crdit, la non-adoption des nouvelles technologies. cela,
sajoutent les difficults daccs au march pour les produits agricoles.
Les difficults lies linformation et la communication
entre les diffrents acteurs font partie des causes de
laccs difficile au march. En effet, les agriculteurs
manquent dinformations fiables sur les prix des produits
sur les marchs, les systmes de transport, les nouveaux
marchs, les lois commerciales. Lutilisation des TIC apparat aujourdhui comme lune des solutions importantes
ces difficults.
Nous considrerons les TIC au sens large du terme, cest-dire en partant des technologies traditionnelles dinformation comme les haut-parleurs communautaires, les
radios jusquaux plus rcentes comme le tlphone portable, Internet et les satellites.
1. Difficults daccs au march

Dans beaucoup de rgions du Bnin, les producteurs sont
trs isols par rapport lvolution des marchs. Ils
ignorent tout des dynamiques de la mondialisation et
subissent ainsi les vellits dun systme capitaliste dexclusion. En fait, trouver les meilleurs prix pour leurs produits reste une quation non rsolue et ils sen remettent
alors des intermdiaires. Pour les agriculteurs, il existe
un dficit dinformations sur les marchs.
Il nexiste pas rellement de plateformes de promotion
pour les produits locaux. Ce qui fait que les produits restent inconnus malgr la qualit de la production. Le coton
et lananas constituent des exemples concrets.
Les producteurs ont besoin dchanger des informations

commerciales sur les campagnes agricoles. Il y a un dficit de flux dinformations entre associations paysannes.
Ce qui ne permet pas les retours dexpriences, la recherche de partenaires durables. Les diffrentes parties (agriculteurs, vulgarisateurs et chercheurs) sont isoles. Les
mthodes traditionnelles et passives ne permettent pas
des changes mutuellement avantageux et des flux dinformations entre diffrents acteurs.
2. Les TIC pour rpondre aux

besoins en information
Assurer laccessibilit de linformation sur les marchs
agricoles permettra aux agriculteurs de trouver un
dbouch pour leurs produits. Il sagit de fournir les
renseignements pertinents un change dinformations. Pour un changement socioconomique, on doit
partir des besoins en information des acteurs:

dbouchs pour leurs produits;

volution des techniques de production;
traabilit des produits;
normes de commercialisation
On pourra dvelopper un portail de commercialisation

agricole permettant des agriculteurs de suivre les
cours et les marchs et de vendre leurs produits agricoles via Internet. Cette plateforme sera renforce par
des centres dinformation, touchant le cur de la production, les agriculteurs. cet gard, linitiative
e-Choupal en Inde reste pertinente. Ce portail peut tre
le support de dveloppement dun centre daccs au
march pour les produits agricoles. Le site web de la
Chambre nationale dagriculture du Bnin (reprsente
sur toute ltendue du territoire national) pourrait par
exemple tre modifi pour rpondre ce concept. Les
centres dinformation sont des relais dans les villages
incorporant dans les quipes les producteurs euxmmes. Cest en fait un systme dinformation interactif,
bnfique pour tous les acteurs, avec des donnes
organise par filire. Dans les villages reculs, les agriculteurs auront accs au courriel, au web, outil dapprentissage, grce au concours des technologies
solaires par satellite et fibre optique utiliser pour
lordinateur.
67 |
limage de la flotte utilise par lUnion nationale des

producteurs de coton du Burkina Faso (UNPCB), la plateforme peut souscrire un service des oprateurs GSM
pour chaque centre dinformation. Contre le paiement
dun abonnement mensuel fixe, la communication serait
illimite entre un certain nombre de tlphones portables.
Un tel outil permettra de discuter avec un agent dinformation commerciale de la plateforme et dorganiser des
confrences avec les organisations paysannes.
Toujours en ngociation avec les oprateurs de tlphonie
mobile, ils peuvent offrir un service SMS qui informe sur
les prix du march dans un rayon donn. Ceci permettra
aux producteurs de dceler o et qui ils peuvent vendre
leurs produits. La plateforme peut ainsi non seulement
avoir recours un tel systme pour les informations sur
les prix, mais galement permettre aux producteurs de
passer leur accord par SMS. Jusque-l, Infoprix ne diffuse
que les prix de march pour les 25 denres alimentaires
principales au plan national. Lavantage est de gagner du
temps et dviter les dplacements inutiles.
Des SMS aux appels, agriculteurs et acheteurs sont en
contact. Les agriculteurs connaissent lavance les prvisions du march selon les demandes avant mme les
rcoltes. Ils auront ainsi la possibilit de choisir leur culture selon le march. La plateforme dcrite plus haut
pourra se baser sur le module Prix par SMS du march
sous-rgional ouest-africain (RESIMAO-WAMIS-NET), qui
offre gratuitement des informations sur 400 marchs
agricoles.
Il faut souligner un usage complmentaire aux diverses
TIC(GSM, Internet, mail, radio, etc.). Les radios de ce fait
constituent une solution aux barrires linguistiques avec
les NTIC. Ainsi, des missions radio et tl en langues
nationales permettront de relayer les informations de la
plateforme, tel producteur la recherche de telle quantit
de produits. Mieux, les missions interactives sur les
ondes constitueront un espace dchanges o les agriculteurs pourront vendre leurs produits. Les offres et les
demandes seront galement publies sur la plate-forme.
Lutilisation daffiches et lusage des haut-parleurs dans
les zones recules permettront de relayer linformation.
La web radio permettra aux agriculteurs de tlcharger
des programmes sur les marchs et les modules de formation. Une compilation pourra se faire sur CD.
| 68
Par ailleurs, la plate-forme, en voluant, fournira dautres

services en plus des mails, des SMS, des appels tlphoniques, des confrences entre acteurs. Un service sera
disponible pour le renforcement des capacits des acteurs
en matire de commercialisation avec ses drivs: conservation, gestion des revenus, vente, etc. On pourra y
trouver des lettres dinformation, des magazines, des
DVD et cdroms. Les centres dinformation serviront de
canal de vulgarisation des campagnes. Ils pourront aussi
offrir des services payants tels que la formation
linformatique.
En fait, la russite de la plate-forme repose certes sur
laccs des informations fiables, mais aussi sur laccs
pour les plus pauvres des agriculteurs. De mme, les
locaux doivent participer la ralisation et la mise en
uvre du projet. La plate-forme peut tre une initiative
gouvernementale ou prive base sur un partenariat
public-priv. Dans tous les cas, la structure fournira le
matriel. Les communauts fourniront lespace. Les centres dinformation seront anims par des locaux au niveau
des villages. Un comit de gestion sera form sur lutilisation du matriel. Sur les transactions russies, la structure gagnera un pourcentage de mme que le centre
dinformation. Les socits daccs au march auront
accs la plateforme pour publier les demandes. Ce service sera payant.
Au final, des efforts sont faits pour aller vers une rvolution verte au Bnin. Il existe, cependant, des facteurs
limitant le dveloppement dune agriculture conomiquement viable. Trouver des dbouchs pour les produits
agricoles est un dfi. Plusieurs atouts soffrent aujourdhui
pour la commercialisation des produits agricoles. Au nombre de ces atouts, figurent en bonne place les TIC. Ce SIM
(systme dinformation de march) intgr offrira un
systme des prix, les bonnes pratiques, des pages dinformation sur les cultures, la transaction en ligne, un
march virtuel. Mais toute intervention repose sur la
participation des acteurs impliqus. En somme, une telle
initiative se rsume ainsi:laccs des plus pauvres
un systme dinformation interactif, intgr et fonctionnel
avec une varit et une fiabilit des donnes. On assistera alors au renforcement du pouvoir de ngociation,
lamlioration du revenu des producteurs et ladoption
des innovations.
Bibliographie

Aigle de Songha, n 54-55, bulletin trimestriel du

mouvement Songha, 1er et 2e trimestres 2005, ISSN
1659-6153.
ICT Update, n 45, octobre 2008, Tlphonie rurale.
ICT Update, n 47, fvrier 2009, Information sur
les marchs.
ICT Update, n 49, juin 2009, Moyens dexistence.
ICT Update, n 51, octobre 2009, Services mobiles.
ANUPINDI, R. et SIVAKUMAR, S. (2005). ITCs
e-Choupal: A Platform Strategy for Rural Transformation. Business Solutions for Alleviating Poverty
(BSAP) Conference: Social Enterprise Initiative,
Harvard Business School, December 1-3, 2005. 28 p.
PASQUATI, E. (2009). Usages des TIC pour le dveloppement rural en Inde et au Burkina Faso. www.
gdri-netsuds.org/IMG/pdf/Pasquati.pdf, page consulte le 12 juillet 2010.
NYAMBA, A. (2005). Approche sociologique et
anthropologique de la communication dans les villages africains. in Les tlcommunications, entre
bien public et marchandise, sous la direction de
BENAMRANE, D., JAFFRE, B. et VERSCHAVE, F.-X.
Charles Lopold Mayer. http://www.csdptt.org/article417.html, page consulte le 12 juillet 2010.
UPTON, D. (2003). The ITC eChoupal Initiative. Case
study. Harvard Business School. 20 p. http://www.
slideshare.net/adhirock/the-itc-e-choupal-initiative,
page consulte le 12 juillet 2010.
LLLOUKOU, A.F. (2009). Les TIC et lattractivit

dynamique des territoires dans la problmatique
du dveloppement local en Afrique. TIC & dveloppement (La revue lectronique). http://www.tic.ird.
fr/spip.php?article321, page consulte le 12 juillet
2010.
Dveloppement local et TIC : quel atout pour le
dveloppement durable ? http://www.sendeveloppementlocal.com/Developpement-local-et-TIC-quelatout-pour-le-developpement-durable_a24.html,
page consulte le 12 juillet 2010.
CountrySTAT, http://www.countrystat.org/ben/cont/
inctables/pageid/8_mega/fr, page consulte le 12
juillet 2010.
Statistiques mondiales, http://www.statistiq
ues-mondiales.com/benin.htm, page consulte le
12 juillet 2010.
KOUAO Sylvain, SINDIKUBWABO I. (2007). Systme
dinformation sur les marchs (SIM) : condition
ncessaire la russite de nos oprations de commercialisation, Exprience de lANOPACI.
ADEGBIDI A., DEDEHOUANOU H. et al. (2003). Dix
ans de libralisation du march de mas au Bnin.
CDS Research Report n 20. ISSN 1385-9218.
WEBER M.T., DONOVA C. et al.,( 2005). Directives
pour crer des systmes dinformation des marchs
durables en Afrique avec de forts partenariats public-priv. (Traduit de langlais par Marie-Eve Wright)
69 |
Lloyd Johnson Jr
Jamaica, Caribbean
The youth are the future. To aid
in the progress toward rural development as it relates to agriculture,
there is a wealth of knowledge and
experience from current farmers
that will need to be transferred to
another generation of farmers. In
this technological age, it is expected
that the youth will use these skills
to increase efficiency in production
practices and have quicker access
to more information than those
farmers from before.
I took a general interest in agriculture and nature and
had a great appreciation for technology growing up. At
that time the two seemed incompatible, but ICTs have
now made it possible to link them in a meaningful way.
I am a 25 year old Jamaican, currently working in an
agricultural research organization. I grew up in the corporate area with an exposure to agriculture from an early
age; where my parents kept a small backyard farm and
my grandparents raised poultry on a small scale. I expect
that as we continue to develop new technologies to
improve efficiencies the world will see that the only constant thing is change.
Motto : Age quod agis Whatever you do, do it well.

Wolmers Boys High School Motto
Favourite Website : http://www.cito.gov.jm/content/
national-ict-strategy
This website makes available an outline for the development of the ICT industry in Jamaica and provides hope
for the progress of the nation towards a brighter future.
Contact Info : Johnson.lloyd@hotmail.com
The challenges faced in market access in my country and

by extension the Caribbean, are very real issues and in
my opinion the key limitation for development.
Highlighting some of these challenges in this forum will
allow these concerns to reach a wider audience for
consideration.
Interests :
Research, philosophy, computer science, development
projects, reading.
Lloyd during a Computer Lab Maintenance Check
| 70
Improving Market Access of Caribbean Agricultural products

with Information & Communication Technologies
Summary
Although the Carribean region has a large diversity of exotic agricultural products, the lack of reliable markets
hinders agricultural development. ICT can promote a transparent and efficient mechanism for improved market
access. The issues of seasonality and location of production cause wide disparities in prices, and at the same time
current prices may be unknown. A regional public database system can provide regular updated market information, thus empowering consumers, suppliers and farmers to promote fair trade and access to unfamiliar markets
as well. The production standards for exportable produce need to be widely disseminated to farmers, using ICT
tools for training and skills transfer, under expert guidance. Regional organisations need to increase collaboration
and strengthen linkages and ongoing dialogue using ICTs. Updated information on agricultural statistics can help
minimise gluts and economic losses. Greater dissemination of already existing technologies and innovations will
lead to productivity gains for greater marketability of products.
Within the Caribbean, the diversity of exotic agricultural

products1 makes it a haven for thriving commerce markets2; however there are limitations with the current
systems which can be addressed using Information &
Communication Technologies (ICTs). Whether the commodities are fresh produce or value-added products, the
range of agricultural products in both the Greater and
Lesser Antilles includes: fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry
and other livestock held in high esteem worldwide3.
Jamaica is known for rum, sugar and peppers4; Belize
for citrus and fish products5; St. Lucia for coconut oil6
and Trinidad & Tobago for cocoa7; and the list continues.
However there is much more to be offered from the
region, both internationally and domestically; ICTs can
be used to highlight and improve upon the existing systems for agricultural market access.
In this regard, ICTs involve the use of technology to effectively communicate, organize, and digitize information
among interest groups, to promote a transparent and
efficient mechanism leading to improved market access
for agricultural products. To fully capitalize on, and
increase the effectiveness of ICTs, it is important to identify existing limitations related to agricultural market
access in the context of the Caribbean. The limitations
to be discussed are: lack of reliable information on markets; inadequate standards training; insufficient linkages;
informal systems; incentive driven agriculture; and poor
highlighting of innovations.
With no sound source for market information in the
Caribbean, there is reason to doubt the reliability and
accuracy of any information when it is obtained. The
nature of agriculture is such that most items are valued

based on seasonality. This volatile characteristic changes
with varying lengths of time, and unless one has a finger
on the pulse of these changes, answers may be unforthcoming or vary depending on whom you query for the
current price of an item.
Furthermore, locality also plays a part, as disparities exist
in the value of the same commodity in different places at
the same point in time. Therefore to increase transparency and improve access to markets, a public database
system can be generated by a regional entity, with inputs
from the respective local authorities who can assist with
regular updates of market information8. Consequently
consumers and suppliers can be made aware of item
costs, quantities and other intrinsic data, at least at a
regional, if not universal level. This public database could
be in the medium of a website or mailing-list, to increase
the range of users with access to information, and for
ease of managing published content. Consumers and suppliers are thereby empowered, as each party has access
to market data, promoting fair trade and introducing
unfamiliar markets in an open domain.
Marketability standards of agricultural products are
another sore point in the Caribbean, where compliance
and awareness seem mutually exclusive9. The majority
of farmers in the Caribbean engage in subsistence farming; but market standards, especially internationally, are
often rigorous, leaving a number of farmers with goods
deemed unmarketable. Local markets could be a safety
net, but have become more regulated, with standards
approaching those of export markets. Small scale farmers
71 |
cultivate mostly from traditional knowledge or personal

awareness, so when unfamiliar standards are set as
required targets at the point of harvest, access to these
markets is denied. Therefore sensitization is necessary,
as it encourages agriculturalists to cultivate produce and
value-added products that meet international standards
in order to gain unhindered market access. Essentially
ICTs can be used to generate awareness packages in various fields of agriculture and related products, to help
guide farmers prior to starting a production chain. These
packages can be in the form of audio-visual and documented texts, accompanied by training exercises to facilitate practical understanding of standards. Such sessions
may be conducted on a roaming format10 so that farmers
can group within community centers on a scheduled basis
under the guidance of experts, to facilitate knowledge
transfers on prevailing international market standards.
Multimedia technology can be utilized at this point of
first contact, with the aid of follow up tutorials via daily
voice or text messages, considering the popularity of
mobile phones11.
Within the Caribbean there are several organizations
dedicated to agriculture in both public and private sectors. Although this is the case, efficient synergies are not
obvious as linkages are either weak or non-existent.
Throughout the region, there are several organisations
associated with the promotion of agriculture and trade
such as: CARDI, IICA, MOA, CRU, JAMPRO, EPA, CaFAN,
ECTAD, CPDC, WINFA, FAO etc12. Interestingly, despite all
these players in agricultural production and promotion,
there is inadequate performance from the sector for the
most part, and sustainability in agriculture at national
and regional levels was crippled in the food crisis of 2007
- 200813. Collaboration has been ongoing between some
of these institutions, but the efficacy can be argued, possibly because some of the linkages have been superficial
in nature. Many programs implemented among these
partners last for a time and eventually die, as linkages
and interactions primarily occur at higher levels among
groups but frameworks to accommodate ongoing dialogue are lacking. Unless transparency can be improved
upon and a more meaningful active network is established, these interactions will continue to give lack-lustre
outcomes14.
To remedy this problem ICTs can be employed to facilitate
synchronization and disclosure of clear mandates and
attainable goals. This must coincide with open networking
among all requisite stakeholders. The Caribbean Research
Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RIE) website lends sup-
| 72
port to this proposal as it is designed to link persons of

similar agricultural entrepreneurship and highlights ideas,
innovations and achievements. Therefore such an ICT
can be useful in strengthening linkages among existing
institutions and providing a foundation for new groups,
whilst encouraging better market access through
improved collaborative work.
Within the region, there are informal market settings
which are not captured in mainstream trade. Information
on and access to such markets is limited to relatively few
consumers. This type of system only serves to exclude
potential clients, as there is no awareness of such establishments, so access to this market is limited to chance
occurrences. Jamaica has implemented an Agricultural
Business Information System (ABIS)15 through the Rural
Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) aimed at registering all farmers in the island on a district basis. Once
registered, critical information such as acreage, crops
and harvest date are determined and updated seasonally
to reflect activities of the producer, supporting their
access to predetermined markets. This information system can be used as a model and improved upon for regularizing informal markets in the region. Such a database
can be used to determine potential productivity and guide
agronomists on who should produce certain items in
order to prevent a glut on the market and improve
national development goals.
Producers are generally incentive driven in agriculture
and opt to cultivate items that are known to have high
profits in a season, rather than anticipate market
demands and produce proactively16. This style of agriculture generates glut on the market and causes economic
instability, as the value of commodities fluctuate. This
phenomenon is especially linked to tomato production
where most farmers start growing heavily out of season17,
inadvertently causing prices to plummet abruptly. In conjunction with an ABIS, scheduling can be implemented
to regulate who grows what, when and where, to allow
an even distribution of agricultural products throughout
the seasons. This permits all players to have fair access
to markets with their goods, without the need to discard
valuable goods as refuse or feedstock.
The Caribbean region is not short of innovative ideas to
improve agriculture as is evident through Agricultural,
Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) programs; the
problem lies in the intensity of highlighting innovations
and ideas. General awareness is lacking about some of
the technologies being developed in the region which
could support efficient productivity, leading to greater
marketability. Technologies for disease prevention and

techniques to increase yield or prolong shelf-life are all
known within certain circles; the limitation is in the dissemination of such information. The frequency and range
of promotional highlights for innovations can be
increased using ICTs. Websites such as RIE aim to provide
such critical information, bridging the gap between the
informed and the ignorant. However, this is not enough.
Mainstream promotional items and activities can better
highlight such achievements and innovations to foster
greater awareness, resulting in improved market access.
required capital, skill, interest and time needed to

address the discussed limitations are optimally and efficiently employed. In the age
of technology, the Caribbean
must keep abreast of new
developments that promote
sustainable agricultural
trade in order to become an
indomitable agricultural trading force.
In conclusion, ICTs provide an excellent medium which

can improve upon current access to markets for agricultural products in the Caribbean. It is important that the
References
1. Stads, G. and Bientema, N. (2009).Public Agricultural
Research in Latin America and the Caribbean. IFPRI
& IDB.
2. Schwab,K (2010). The Global Competitiveness
Report 2009 -2010. World Economic Forum, 33 - 36
& 404 428
3. JIS (2010, March 10). Caribbean Food and Drink for
Culinary Tour in UK. Retrieved July 1, 2010, from
http://www.jis gov.jm/commerce_science/
html/20100310T160000-0500_23210_JIS_
CARIBBEAN_FOOD_AND_DRINK_FOR_CULINARY_
TOUR_OF_UK.asp
4. BBC. (2010, May, 26). Jamaica Country Profile.
Retrieved July 5, 2010 from http://news.bbc.co.
uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1190968.stm
5. BBC. (2010, January, 14). Belize Country Profile.
6. BBC. (2009, October 29). St Lucia Country Profile.
7. Bekele , F. (2001). History of Cocoa Production in
Trinidad and Tobago. Cocoa Research Unit. University
of West Indies. p6 CaFAN. (2007). Caribbean Farmers
Network Stakeholders Directory, CaFAN, 1.
8. Williams, A. (2002, August 29). ACT-AIS: Agricultural
Marketing Information System. Retrieved July 16,
2010, from http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-8527-201-1-DO_
TOPIC.html
9. Knutston, R., Joslin, T. (2009, June). A New Generation of Standards: Implications for the Caribbean
and Latin America. Retrieved July 11, 2010 from
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17.
http://www.eclac.org/cgibin/ getProd.asp?xml=/
publicaciones/xml/2/37602/P37602.xml&xsl=/washington/tpli/ p9f.xsl&base=/washington/tpl-i/
top-bottom.xsl
CTU. (2010). The Caribbean ICT Roadshow Update.
Retrieved July 20, 2010, from http://www.connectedcaribbean.com/index.php/cirs
Heatwole, A. (2009, September, 14). Agricultural
Market Information System (AMIS). Retrieved July
10, 2010, from http://mobileactive.org/mobile-tools/
agricultural-marketinformation-systems-amis
CaFAN. (2007). Caribbean Farmers Network Stakeholders Directory, CaFAN, 1.
IANS. (2008, April 20). Global Food Crisis could Hit
Caribbeans Millennium Goals. Thaindian News.
Retrieved July 19, 2010 from http://www.thaindian.
com/newsportal/worldnews/ global-food-crisis-could-hit-caribbeans-millennium-goals_100
40122.html
Private Sector Commission (2007, October). Jagdeo
Initiative. Technical Information Bulletin. No. 8, 2-3.
15 Rural Agricultural Development Agency. (2009).
Agricultural Business Information System. Retrieved
July 5, 2010, from https://www.abisjamaica.com.jm/
abis2009/
CTA. (2009, February). Strengthening Agricultural
Trade Strategies Towards a Caribbean Agenda. p16
CTA. (2009). Tomatoes Plentiful but Fragile. Spore.
Retrieved July 19, 2010, from http://spore.cta.int/
indexphp?option=com_cotent&task=view&lang
=en&id=1068&catid=8
73 |
Wilson Gitau Karuga

Kenya, East Africa
Due to illiteracy or little education in many developing countries,
ICT may not achieve that role of
information delivery unless some
people are used to give education
on various issues and act as intermediaries between farmers and
information provided by ICTs.
About me
My name is Wilson; a Kenyan youth aged 23 years. I am
in Egerton University pursuing Bachelor of Commerce
(majoring in management science).
Interests:
Reading (astronomy, fiction, youth related articles, motivation), Writing, watching films and music, socializing
Motto: I am the change I would like to see in the world
I am the first born in a family of seven siblings. I was born

in Nakuru district and although we had moved several
times due to tribal clashes we have not been out of this
district. I always believe in self driven endeavors and that
anything one has capacity to do is worth trying if its
outcome will be a benefit to him, other(s) or the world
at large.
Favorite website: www.cta.int

Email: wilsongitaukaruga@yahoo.com
My hope is to see Africa a better place, characterized by,

unity, peace and self sustenance; secure from food shortage and developed to the level of, or above, the developed countries. I envision a continent of empowered
youths whose contribution to society will be felt. A place
where communication will be eased so that those in rural
areas will be as informed as those in urban areas (through
the help of ICTs).
I interact with various youths both at individual and group
levels and am involved in activities which support youths
potential in changing the world.
| 74
Reclamation of the Latent-Enterprise, Thanks To ICTs

Summary
Though East Africa is endowed with favourable conditions for agricultural production, inadequacy of information
has caused the young generation to shun agriculture and prefer urban migration. Farmers are disillusioned by
low prices due to countless middlemen. ICTs can reverse the lack of information and move farming activities
beyond subsistence. Farmers can be provided with information on production practices, engineering and agrofood processing. Telecentres acting as hub stations for smaller rural based information centres (RBIC) with
computers and communication equipment will provide a wide range of information. Mobile centres should be
used to access interior regions. The centres will provide prices, other market information and access to experts
and specialists. Farmers will be able to use their mobile phones to send SMS requests and receive replies. Internet
will broaden access to a wide range of information and use of social networks. Other tools, like trackers and CCTV
cameras, can also be used for managing animals and property.
Introduction
Among the many facts about East Africa, a five country
region, is its endowment with suitable conditions for
agriculture. The region experiences an equatorial climate
characterized by high temperatures of over 25 Celsius,
high rainfall of over 1500mm and high humidity all the
year round.
The regions position on the world map favours its trade
with both the eastern and western world at relatively
equal costs. Therefore, there exists a potentially large
market for this regions output. To satisfy this market
and reap huge benefits from East Africas prime activity,
agriculture, people have to be retained in the rural areas
and information provided to increase their productivity.
The common trend among the five countries is the migration of youths to urban areas in search of what they
consider green pastures. They flee the rural areas with
the archaic notion that farming signifies underdevelopment. Behind them, they leave a vast fertile land, rich
with an agriculturally favourable climate and with the
ability to bear bountiful harvests. The truth contradicts
the youths perceptions; they actually leave the greenest
pastures for those that are less green. Blindly, they wave
goodbye to opportunities.
Problem
This situation clearly shows the lack of or inadequacy
of information to these youths. This ignorance cripples
the perception of the young generation, never to walk
to the destination that agriculture merits; it blindfolds

the young eyes, denying them a glance of a healthy
nation and region, whose creation would be thanks to
farmers.
Lack of information has for a long time rendered most
farming activities subsistence. Those who try to expand
their production are often disillusioned by the low prices,
an incidence occasioned by countless middlemen. Final
prices paid by consumers may be high, but there rests
profound darkness between the consumers and farmers.
Markets accessed by the producers therefore remain
more apparent than real.
It is true that the only constant thing is change. Information and communication technology, an advance in
the creation and provision of information, has spread its
roots to the most interior parts of the East Africa region.
This is evidenced by the prevalent use of mobile phones,
computers and other communication devices. ICTs can
raise the benefits of agriculture above the optimum and
unwrap the long-concealed opportunities. ICT is uncovering the schemes of middlemen and opening the eyes
of the farmers to see the wide mouths, the yearning souls
and the hungry stomachs of local and distant markets.
ICTs will provide information to the regions residents on
sustaining agricultural lands, tips and guidelines on planting selected crops, rural engineering, agro-food processing industry, local and international strategies and gardening. This technology does not prejudice and agriculture is among the latent enterprises that ICTs will reclaim.
Such a statement attracts the question, how?
75 |
Telecenter projects
Access to information is the solution to promoting agriculture, especially in rural areas. Telecenters will be pre-selected points in the region where ICT services will be
accessed.
Once they are set up, these centers will be equipped with
computers and other communication equipment. The centers should be set up to act as hub stations for smaller,
rural based information centers. They will be spread out
all over the region with each district acquiring a
telecenter.
These centers will be connected to establish a regional
network. Integrated in this regional network will be e-libraries on farming and related issues, web pages for the
community, workshops and seminars among other
features.
The region should also select an access point, transform
it into a knowledge hub and thereby develop a regional
network portal. Through this portal, information will be
received from and be disseminated to various parties via
the telecenters.
Rural based information centers (RBIC)

Each telecenter should be connected to rural based information centers. These will act as information kiosks in
rural areas and should be composed of both fixed and
mobile centers. The fixed centers should be like the
telecenter but in a lower scale, while mobile centers
should use laptop computers and mobile phones to reach
the most remote places. RBIC will act as intermediaries
between the community and the telecenters. They will
provide information regarding prices from various markets, and from research institutes, agricultural experts
and specialists.
Mobile phones
The telecenter project will also work in partnership with
mobile phone service providers such as Safaricom, Zain
and Vodafone among others. This partnership will provide
a platform on which the mobile phone owner can send
an sms request to a special number. The service will automatically respond with an sms providing the requested
information.
| 76
This will be possible since relevant and updated information will have been supplied by the concerned parties as
mentioned earlier. This will include prices, demand for
products in various markets, findings from research institutes and advice from specialists in agricultural fields.
Interactive voice dialogue services

In addition to the normal calls, interactive voice dialogue
will also be introduced to function just like sms. The
caller will dial a special number and follow a simple voice
menu which will direct one to the desired site. A voice
response will be provided to the farmer, farm input supplier, agricultural expert or any other concerned caller,
giving the requested information.
Internet
Internet enabled mobile phones should be recommended
to the farmers. Through the phones they will be able to
search for required information from the websites of
institutions and individual specialists. They will be able
to chat with professionals in agricultural fields through
facebook, twitter and other chat rooms.
Talking book
This is a portable device that records and transfers audio
information, especially from experts or tutors. Agricultural
specialists will use these devices to communicate to
numerous farmers in the interior who are less educated
or illiterate. Talking books have a play-back feature and
therefore explanations or advices from experts can be
listened to more than once for comprehension. A farmer
will also record his or her audio onto the talking book to
expand on existing ideas, share new information or relay
feedback to the agricultural institutions that have provided
these devices.
Radio and television broadcasts.

Radio and television broadcasts will also participate in
promoting agriculture in this region. Educative programmes should be aired, featuring agricultural issues
discussed by experts. These programmes should allow
for questions from listeners through calls, sms or emails.
Farmers will stay informed throughout.
Trackers
Conclusion
Instead of the traditional bells that were hang around

cattles neck, minute trackers can be attached to each
animal. These will help to trace the animal in case it
goes astray or is stolen
All these proposals will work together to provide information to farmers in one way or the other. Attached to
this information is profitability, as a result of expansion
in production of quality agricultural products. Markets
will be readily available and transactions will be facilitated, especially by virtual trading floors, which are
quick, cheap and efficient.
CCTV cameras
For security in farms and ranches, cameras may be set
on a raised construction and be used to monitor the
farm or the ranch. This will help preserve what one has
laboured for.
The above project will be capital intensive and may take

time before it is fully realized. This is because computers
and other communication equipment are expensive to
acquire. Governments involved may also have other
issues to look into and may not therefore give full concentration on this matter. However, once ignited, benefits
of agriculture will start germinating and will attract many.
As many embrace the system, this project, plus appropriate controls, will come to full realization.
References
1. Rene Grotenhuis, Jack van ham and Theo Bauma,
Trading up, building co-operation between farmers
and traders in Africa, 1st edition, royal tropical institute and international institute of rural reconstruction, 2008.
2.
3.
4.
5.
http://www.knowledgenets.net
http://www.telecentre.org/.
http://www.reefnet.gov.sy/.
http://www.kacekenya.com
77 |
| 78
Story of a young
producer or a
youth living in
a rural area,
who uses ICT
successfully or in
an innovative way
for his or her work
Agriculture needs to attract more young people if it is to move ahead and develop in
the future. ICTs can be an effective way of helping young rural entrepreneurs to launch
a business or improve production in their day-to-day work. And since many of them
enjoy using high tech tools, it all adds up to the perfect match.
79 |
Chris Mwangi
Kenya, Eastern Africa
The story is of the successful
and inspiring experiences of a
young person whose use of ICTs
transformed his life and indeed was
a benefit to his community. If this
model is done in other places, it
could impact positively on the lives
of young people in rural areas.
Name: Chris Mwangi Ngige, 23
Nationality: Kenyan
Occupation: IT Specialist
Interest: ICT4D
Contact: chrismwa@rocketmail.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mwangi2
Favorite website: New Agriculturist,
http://www.new-ag.info
New Agriculturist is appreciated for covering a wide
range of stories and issues around agriculture and rural
development across the globe.
the idea. This simplified access to money for members

of the community and they were able to buy household
consumables and farm inputs. This example can be used
as a model for the transformation of life in other rural
areas.
Engagement of the youth in agriculture is minimal. But
youth could make great contributions in agriculture and
rural development. For instance young professionals could
hold training on agriculture aspects to emerging young
farmers and help them get better markets (through web
advertisements) for their produce.
I have spent most of my life in a rural area of Nakuru

district, Kenya, where ICT has played a major role in limiting social and economic problems. When local residents
spoke of their challenges, they would simply say that
they have to go several miles to town to get money to
cater for food, shelter, education and health care. It was
always a matter of money access. As a trained ICT specialist, I realized their potential. I introduced one of the
youths to an income generating opportunity, setting up
an M-Pesa (mobile money transfer) shop. He supported
Dady Demby from FARA, partner of the project, giving to Chris

Mwangi his trophy during the opening ceremony
| 80
Impacts of ICT on livelihoods:

Experiences from a Kenyan rural youth
Summary
The widespread use of mobile phones has revolutionised the access to information and services in rural areas
of Kenya. Mobile phone money transfer allows users to deposit or withdraw hard cash at numerous M-Pesa
agents. Users can make savings using M-Kesho. Kaman, a young Kenyan from the farming region of Central
Rift Valley, operates an M-Pesa kiosk as an agent. With his business, there is an increased flow and ease of
access to money within the community. In lean times of drought, rural farmers receive remittance support from
urban relatives through M-Pesa. The agency has facilitated increased local spending and financial transactions
of local traders and other town-based farm owners, through decreasing costs. Subscribers can use 441 Get it
to obtain market information through their mobiles, whilst computer literate ones can access the internet.
Kamau has prospered and diversified into farming and developed a motor cycle transport service to ferry
passengers.
Currently, Kenya has four active mobile operators. The

technology is the prime mode of communication in the
country. Since its introduction, the industry has picked
up quickly and remarkably, covering most of the geographical areas of the country and has contributed
greatly to local peoples livelihoods. Safaricom is the largest mobile phone operator, and among its range of services is the mobile phone money transfer system called
M-Pesa which literally means Mobile Money. It allows
M-Pesa users to store money within their mobile phones
in an e-account and deposit or withdraw the money in
hard currency at any one of its numerous M-Pesa agents
located throughout the country. As of January, 2010
Safaricom had over 9 million people registered with
M-Pesa (Plyler and Haas, 2010). According to these
authors, the mobile phone person-to-person monthly
transfer of money was over Kshs. 26 billion by December
2009. The number of agents has increased over time
both in the urban and rural areas, creating job opportunities, especially for the youth.
accounts to their M-Kesho Bank accounts. With this

account, a farmer is able to apply for an emergency loan
to support his short-term financial needs.
Safaricom has a range of other services such as M-Kesho

and 411 Get it. M-Kesho is an electronic savings account
introduced by a local bank called Equity Bank and
Safaricom, whereby customers can transfer money from
their M-Pesa accounts into the M-Kesho accounts as savings. In addition, any amount of money in an M-Kesho
account, beginning with as little as 1 shilling, earns interest.
Through the M-Kesho service, banking of money is easy
without the need of going to the bank. Customers can
either transfer money from their Equity Bank accounts to
their M-Pesa accounts or deposit through their M-Pesa
Safaricom has also revolutionized accessibility of information in the rural areas through the use of broadband
modems. In this context, it is possible for farmers that are
computer literate to access relevant information on sound
farming practices via internet. Notably, Organic Farmer
an agricultural e-bulletin published by the International
Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), educates
on organic farming and provides a platform for sharing
of information on sound farming practices among the
youth. The users are provided with free user accounts.
In Kenya, motorcycles have become quite affordable,
The 411 Get it Short Message Service (SMS) is a joint

venture between Safaricom and the Kenya Agricultural
Commodity Exchange (KACE), launched in July, 2007. It
facilitates linkage between sellers and buyers of agricultural commodities. Through this service, farmers get
competitive and transparent market prices. KACE uses
SMS to disseminate market information via mobile
phones. KACE first collects and processes information
from several markets in Kenya and transmits it via a
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) modem
to Safaricom. The subscribers of Safaricom then access
KACE market information using mobile phones on 411
Get it SMS services. Market information is also accessed
through voice response by dialing a KACE hotline number,
using a mobile phone. This helps farmers get a competitive range of market prices for their produce.
81 |
since they are excluded from customs duty. Thus their

use has increased tremendously, especially in the rural
areas. This coincides with the high use of mobile phones
among the rural dwellers. Therefore, a customer usually
calls the driver on his mobile phone to be picked at any
location. The affordability of this mode of transport, coupled with the wide coverage of the mobile network, has
opened the rural areas to a great extent. This is a major
deterrent to the youth migrating to the urban areas, and
further leads to the creation of alternative livelihoods
for the unemployed youth in rural areas.
Kamau is a young Kenyan in his late-twenties, living in a
local farming community in the Central Rift Valley region.
He is subscribed to Safaricom. Kamau became one of the
Safaricom agents and set up an M-Pesa kiosk (small shop)
in his rural home area in mid 2007. Being the only agent
at that time, his business flourished steadily, creating a
solid client base that he has sustained even with the
emergence of new similar businesses in the neighborhood. Kamau has been able to create trust among his
customers. Due to the high number of transactions, there
has been an increased flow and ease of access to money
within the community. This has led to improved livelihoods in his local home area. The solid customer relationship that Kamau has with his customers has contributed to the success of his business.
In the beginning of 2008, the area experienced drought
which led to crop failure. Since agriculture is the mainstay
for Kamaus community, crops are the major source of
income. Following the crop failure, Kamau noticed
increased flow of money through his M-Pesa business to
his customers. Most of this money was reported to be
remittances from relatives in urban areas into the rural
area. Therefore, according to Kamau this service has
strengthened friendships and social interactions in the
community. For Kamau, the mobile phone service has
enabled him to deal with the lean times when he earns
low operating capital. This is because he usually calls his
friends and borrows some money that is sent to his
M-Pesa account.
From the revenue generated from the M-Pesa business,
Kamau has managed to venture into farming. He was
able to rent a number of agricultural fields. He planted
potatoes using methods he got from the e-bulletin of the
Organic Farmer, accessed using his General packet
radio service (GPRS)-enabled mobile phone. He also
planted maize and beans. With the good rains experienced in 2009/2010, the fields produced substantial
| 82
amount of maize, beans and potatoes. For many years

the community where Kamau lives had the problem of
marketing agricultural produce. Markets were mainly run
by middlemen who offered low prices. Also, Kamau had
no skills for negotiating on market prices. With the
improvements in accessibility of market information
through KACE, he has been able to market his commodities effectively. KACE offered him a competitive range
of prices and therefore he was able to identify a favorable
market. He invested the farming proceeds into his
M-Kesho business. His fellow community members also
make bank deposits from their crop sales via the M-Kesho
at Kamaus kiosk.
Kamaus M-Pesa shop has simplified money access and
made more customers have money at their disposal, who
are therefore spending it locally instead of going to the
urban markets. This has improved the economy of the
rural area by minimizing rural-urban movements.
Moreover, the service has played a great role in increasing the availability of household consumables and farm
inputs. It has also made smaller businesses save on transport costs. Agro-vet traders and other sellers make payment on their business orders via M-Pesa to their suppliers in town. The savings made on their transport costs
enable them acquire more stock for their businesses.
This in turn means that the entire community benefits
from the goods available.
Kamaus business has also benefited from transactions
made by the farm owners residing in the nearby town of
Nakuru, who do not have to commute to Kamaus village
to pay their casual labourers. Instead, the workers receive
their daily wages through Kamaus M-Pesa kiosk.
Moreover, the urban dwellers are able to plant on time
since they are now in a position to send money to their
farming supervisors for land preparation and purchase
of fertilizers and seeds without physically going to the
village. However, during the planting and weeding season
Kamau has low operating capital due to increased M-Pesa
withdrawals. To counter this problem, Kamau took a soft
loan from Equity Bank to buy a motorcycle. The motorcycle enables him to rush quickly to town to top up his
M-Pesa account at the bank. The motorcycle also helps
Kamau to cope with the poor road network, which makes
it difficult to get alternative means of transport to town
in time of need.
Kamau later turned to the motorcycle transportation
business, which is dominated by the youth. He hired a
colleague to ferry people, through an arrangement
whereby they share the profits on the trips made. Many
people like his services due to his reliability and commuter charges.
Kamaus experiences and business acumen clearly show
the important linkages and synergies that exist between
the development of ICTs and activities that can support

the livelihoods of rural youth for agricultural and rural
development.
Reference
Plyler, G. & Haas, S (2010). Financial assessment http://
www.fsassessment.umd.edu/.pdf Accessed online on
3rd August, 2010
83 |
Maureen Agena
Uganda, Eastern Africa
I want to be a role model and
icon to all the young women who
think that technology or technical
courses are not meant for them.
Born in a family of three, I am the third and youngest. I am

a very ambitious young woman who believes that the power
to create positive social change lies in the hands of the
community. I graduated in 2008 with a BSc. in Information
Technology and joined the Women of Uganda Network
(WOUGNET) as the Information & Networking Officer. I
become so interested in the projects that were being implemented and the idea of working with women. I was then
privileged to receive training on how to become a citizen
journalist and a youth trainer. And because of my passion
for technology and community development, in 2009, I got
an opportunity to work as a remote intern for the ICT and
Innovation program at The Technical Center of Agriculture
and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), Netherlands. I enjoy
working in rural areas with disadvantaged communities
and marginalized groups like youth and women.
Having gained one year work experience, I enrolled for
my Masters of Science in Information Systems and
received a Canadian Commonwealth scholarship as part
of my Masters to study at St. Marys University in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, Canada. Thats exactly what I am doing now.
Quote: Putting a price on water will make us aware of its
scarcity and make us take better care of it. Angel Gurria,
SecretaryGeneral of the OECD
My Interests:
- Technology & Rural Development
- Gender
- Youth Initiatives
- Culture and Indigenous knowledge
What I like about ARDYIS is the fact that it is dedicated
to the youth in the ACP region. Many times, youth have
| 84
been ignored or left out in programs/projects and this

affects their decision making power when they grow
up and hold positions of influence.
I choose to tell the story of Gilbert Egwel, a 25 year
old youth, because of two reasons:
1. was a perfect case study for me; the fact that he
He
was trying to use ICTs for his agricultural initiative
inspired me so much to share his story and expose
him to the outside world.
2. Gender reasons: I work for WOUGNET, an NGO that
works for women & ICTs and because of these reasons, many people thought that my case study would
be about a girl/woman. But I wanted to let people
know that when dealing with youth, we should not
discriminate between them based on gender. So I
choose Gilbert, a boy/man because his effort was
worth sharing and talking about.
Favourite website: http://www.web2fordev.net/
Anything you want to learn about new technology is
answered here. This website is so rich with content on
the latest and emerging technology.
Maureen Agena
Graduate Student, Information Systems, | Information
& Networking officer-WOUGNET
Department for Applied Sciences
St. Marys University, Halifax
Nova Scotia,Canada
Skype ID: m.agena1 | Twitter: @maureenagena
Blog: http://dignityinpoverty.blogspot.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/maureen.agena
Increasing Rural Agricultural Productivity Through Technology:

The story of a young modern fruit grower in Apac,
Northern Uganda.
Summary
Mr. Gilbert Egwel, aged 25, from Akere, Maruzi, uses ICTs to manage his farming business. He set up an orchard
to grow mango and lemon trees and later decided to set up a fruit seedling nursery. Gilbert initially obtained
information from the Kubere Information Centre in APAC, when a radio talk show on setting up nursery beds
and managing a fruit farm was aired. Today he is the sole supplier of grafted materials to the National Agricultural
Research Organisation (NARO). He also sells fruits at the local market. He often uses the centre to access
information and participates in the radio talk show. He uses his mobile phone to be in contact with NARO, to
carry out money transactions and to receive weekly market price updates. Gilbert is continuously improving
his ICT skills and now uses Facebook and Twitter, expecting to tap a wider market. He plans to add value to his
fruit by juice processing.
Over 88% of Ugandas population of 29 million is rural

based and depends almost entirely on agriculture, at
various levels of livelihood. It is widely held that access
to accurate and timely information by rural communities
can not only increase agricultural productivity, but can
also result in enhanced economic and social development. Indeed the Ugandan government recognizes that
information is vital for all kinds of programs, such as the
Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA). Given the
central role that agriculture plays in Ugandan societies,
it is very important to share the role that ICTs play in
bridging the agricultural divide. Generally, the youth
countrywide have not been involved in many agricultural
activities and yet they are the biggest users of ICTs,
including mobile phones, radio, television and social
media such as web 2.0 tools.
Apac, a district in Northern Uganda, has farmers who
are mainly peasants with relatively low inputs, technologies and skills levels in agriculture. They do not specialize, and own on average about 3-5 acres per household.
They also use rudimentary tools like hand hoes, although
there is a high rate adoption of animal traction technologies (oxen). They grow a variety of crops including mangoes, cotton, simsim, groundnuts and cassava.
Mr. Gilbert Egwel, a 25 year old native of Apac and a small
scale fruit farmer from Akere parish in Maruzi county,
uses ICTs innovatively to improve on his agricultural production is a unique way. His passion for agriculture
started way back at college. Owing to the fact that his
family practised agriculture, it was almost obvious that

Gilbert would follow in the footsteps of his parents, who
already had a big plot of land. With only 50 grafted mangoes and 60 grafted citrus (Lemon) seedlings, Gilbert
started his agricultural journey immediately after high
school. He opted for fruit growing (mangoes and lemon),
mainly because of the favorable weather and the
increased demand from local juice manufacturers and
wine industries in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
He currently owns a fruit seedling nursery and a number of mature fruit trees on approximately fifteen acres
of land, which he bought from some of his savings.
Having listened to an agricultural radio talk show on
nursery beds, broadcast over Radio Apac 92.9 FM, a
community radio station, during one of its agricultural
programmes, he was inspired to invest in fruit trees,
an idea he had nurtured before and one that had been
ignored by most farmers in Apac.
Gilbert acquired 50 grafted mangoes and 60 grafted
citrus (lemon) which cost him 3000 shillings each
(approximately 1) from Mr. Sam Akol, a friend and
employee of the National Agricultural Research
Organisation (NARO) in Kawanda, who already owned
a fruit nursery. At the onset of the first rains in March,
Gilbert planted his first fruit trees.
In 2006, both the mango and lemon trees which Gilbert
had planted developed fruits and he financially benefited from the initiative. Gilbert had the urge to plant
85 |
more fruit trees, but was faced with a big challenge in

the price at which these trees were being sold to him by
NARO (3000 shs each). He then decided to start a fruit
seedling nursery bed to raise many seedlings for planting
and for sale, since very many farmers had shown interest
in his fruits from his first harvest. This he did by mobilizing children around his village to collect local mango
and lemon seeds from the neighborhood during the peak
fruiting seasons, which fall between June-August and
November-December respectively every year in Northern
Uganda.
One year later in 2007, Gilbert planted 100 seedlings of
local mangoes (locally known as Ayembe) and 50 seedlings of lemon (Acungwa) using banana fibers as potting
bags for the seedlings. After grafting his seedlings, most
of them failed to grow. This was a frustrating experience
for him. However, he greatly gained from the nursery
bed, which had over 500 seedlings, and from the profits,
he bought better potting materials from Kampala.
shows, Gilbert was able to construct a good temporary

nursery bed where he planted over 1000 seedlings. Today,
Gilbert is the sole supplier of grafting materials to the
team in NAROKawanda, whom he contacts with his
mobile phone, a Sony Ericsson that cost him 90,000Ugx
(approx. 30Euros). He also sells fruits to the Apac population by taking advantage of local markets days.
He sometimes gets paid through his mobile phone
through a service branded as Mobile Money by Mobile
Telephone Network-MTN (Uganda) to enable mobile
transfer of money among its subscribers. Sometimes
Gilbert receives his payments through his local bank
account from STANBIC Bank, the only bank in the entire
Apac district. With the mobile phone, Gilbert says that
he has also subscribed to MTN market price updates to
receive weekly updates on market prices.
Kubere Information Centre (KIC) has been a very important source of fruit information for Gilbert. He has been
able to do his internship at this telecentre, as well as find
very useful literature from CTAs Agricultural publications,
like Soil fertility management-Agrodok series No.2, Fruit
growing in the tropics-Agrodok series No.5, Marketing
for small scale producers- Agrodok series No.26,
Propagating and tree planting--Agrodok series No.19. He
has also been invited as a panelist to the radio talk shows
on Radio Apac during its agricultural programs, to share
his expertise in fruit farming. Gilbert also takes advantage
of the Thursday Business News pullout, which is mainly
dedicated to agro-business, from the New Vision (http://
www.newvision.co.ug), a national newspaper in Uganda.
He accesses the newspaper from KIC.
How Gilbert Uses ICTs Innovatively
Having attended a web 2.0 training that took place from

15th to 17th February 2010 in Apac, facilitated by Ms. Ednah
Karamagi from Busoga Rural Open Source Development
Initiative (BROSDI),Gilbert was able join two online platforms of Facebook and twitter (Twitter: @gegwel and
Facebook: Egwel Gilbert). He says that this could be a
starting point in tapping into a bigger and wider market
outside of Uganda.
In 2005, when the Kubere Information Centre (KIC), a

telecentre in Apac, started airing its agricultural talk
shows to the community over Radio Apac, Gilbert learnt
from one of the shows how to set up a nursery bed and
manage a fruit farm. The agricultural radio talk shows
are supported by the Technical Centre of Rural and
Agricultural Cooperation, CTA. With the skills gained and
knowledge acquired through the agricultural radio talk
From the small profits that Gilbert makes, he has been

able to pay his tuition for two years at Gulu University in
Uganda for a Bachelor degree in Development Studies.
The various ICTs he uses have made marketing of his
seedlings and fruits cost effective; Gilbert has built a big
clientele who always contact him on a phone for orders
and supplies. Evidently, the community radio, telecentre
and mobile phone are the ICT tools most used by Gilbert.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54188703@N00/page4/
| 86
The Challenges.
The Solution
Despite the various successes Gilbert has made out of

this fruit production, he is still faced with a number of
challenges. These include:
The only solution to all the agricultural related problems we face is access to the right information at the
right time says Gilbert. He acknowledges that information is powerful enough to transform any difficult
situation. Using ICTs meaningfully, and for their right
purpose, can reduce on production costs.
His limited skill in the use and application of ICTs for

agriculture. Despite the fact that Gilbert is aware of the
potential and the role that ICTs can play in agriculture,
he lacks the necessary skills that can enable him to maximally tap into this potential. However, with the trainings
that Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) has offered
through KIC, with support from CTA, Gilbert has gained
several skills on how to use the internet for email, how
to search for information using Google search engine
and knowledge of how to use web 2.0 tools for development. These trainings include: the Lango forums of e-agriculture, web 2.0 tool training and agricultural radio talk
shows, which Gilbert has attended.
Poor infrastructure such as roads, processing facilities
and stores are frustrating. Gilbert has to sometimes
count on the local market by taking advantage of the
local market days within and around Apac.
Farmers must learn to specialize in fewer areas of production on a large scale, so as to profit from comparative advantages and economies of scale.
Conclusion
Gilberts dream is to start a juice processing project to
add value to his fruit, as well as employ more youth
within his village to improve their standards of living. He
also hopes to use his trees by setting up bee hives for
honey production. Gilbert encourages other young farmers to have initiative and integrate the use of ICT, if they
want to reduce their farming costs and become successful, model farmers within their respective villages.
References:
1. Joseph K. Mukibi, 2001. Agriculture in Uganda. Vol
II Uganda: Fountain Publishers limited
1. ASDI, http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/asdiug.html
2. Ed Verheij, 2006. Fruit growing in the tropics. Agrodok
Series No. 5 Wageningen: Digigrafi, Wageningen, The
Netherlands.
Interviewing a young entrepreneur in Uganda

about his business.
87 |
Isaac Chanda
Zambia, Southern Africa
I strive to help youths increase
the level of adoption of ICTs in my
region and the nation by building
capacity and showing dynamics
that exist between ICTs and particular sectors of development.
I am a male Zambian of 24 years old. I am a social worker

and ICT trainer and consultant and currently the Executive
Director for Ndola Youth Resource Centre, an organisation
that specialises in using ICT for youth development. As I
grew up, I came to learn that what separates a successful
youth from another is simply the availability of relevant
information. My desire is to have a skilled young generation
that shall rely on ICTs to make well informed decisions for
sustainable livelihood development.
My Interests:
Rural Development and Youth Development
| 88
My quote: The greatest reward that a man can ever earn

out of his toil is not what he materially gets out of it, but
what he becomes by it.
My favourite website: http://www.ict4d.org.uk/
The site provides quality research in the field of ICT4D,
and makes the results of this available freely to the global
community
Contact: isaacchanda@gmail.com,
facebook.com/Isaac.chanda
Find the young Farmer, Locating young farmers

without limitations
Summary
To provide sustainable livelihoods to Zambian youths in the Copperbelt Province, the Government has set up
a scheme to provide them with agricultural land and some other inputs/resources to start their own business.
However, marketing remains a big hurdle for the young. ICT can help traditionally marginalised groups. Find
the Young Farmer is a web based marketing/advertising tool which will maintain registered farmers names,
location, address and agricultural products, photos of produce and other links. Buyers can locate farmers in a
specific region for a specific product and get in touch with any one of them by phone or email or by visiting
them. The tool will also allow social interaction, search for training materials and other updates. This website
will need to be widely marketed. The cost of the service will eventually be covered by making young farmers
pay for space, once they have started realising the benefit of advertising.
Introduction
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), if
well planned and harnessed, have the ability to bridge
the digital divide and accelerate the rate of growth of
economic groups that have traditionally been marginalized. They enhance accuracy and efficiency in work output at all levels of production, not only in agricultural
fields but in all rural development strategies. Furthermore, they have the potential to facilitate effective collaboration among practitioners engaged in similar practices, for exchange of ideas, experiences, challenges and
knowledge sharing, which broaden users knowledge base
and consequently improves work output.
The Copperbelt Province of Zambia has, in the last two
decades, experienced an increase in people taking up
agriculture as the main source of living and business.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has put up
policies and strategies aimed at enhancing access to
agricultural land, inputs, livestock and training to the
locals through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. Lately, the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child
Development, in collaboration with the Land Resettlement Scheme under the Vice Presidents Office and
the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, have combined efforts in equipping youths with agricultural land,
inputs and livestock and, in some areas, a little start up
capital. This programme aims at providing sustainable
livelihood initiatives to youths, since most youths in
Zambia are not in formal employment or education. This
programme has resulted in many youths acquiring land,
inputs and training from various parts of Zambia, such
as Lukanga North Youth Resettlement Scheme in the

Copperbelt Province. However, the main challenge faced
by these youths is little or limited market exposure of
their agricultural products. Young farmers have very poor
methods of advertising and marketing their produce.
Owing to this challenge, they are exploited by the few
buyers that buy their products, as they dictate the price
at which to buy from them.
Overview of Initiative
In order to address the marketing/advertising challenge
faced by most farmers, especially the young people, a
tool that could be used to expose specific agricultural
products produced by youths to a variety of buyers could
be developed. This tool could provide both audio and
visual information and would be developed by using Free
and Open Source Software such as Dreamweaver and
easy Php for web designing, MySQL for databases and
Wikipedia for blogs and wikis. This tool is a listing website
that can be designed specifically for the marketing of
agricultural products by young farmers.
Description of Initiative
find the young farmer, whose domain space would be
www.findyoungfarmer.org, is a marketing/advertising
tool that is designed to link various young agricultura
participants and actors, organizations and institutions,
with both local and international audiences. Furthermore, it serves as a directory or compass for users to
enable them locate or access agricultural services or
products of their choice within the location of their pref-
89 |
erence. It has the basic features of any normal website,

having photos and graphics on all the pages that bring
out the marketing aspect of the site. Find the young
farmer is a listing website that lists categorized characters that are encoded on the site pages. The website maintains individual profiles for a variety of young
actors in agriculture and helps to link them with users
of particular interest. Users acquire both contact and
product/service information found in various locations.
The tool sorts out information according to similarity
in the nature of the agricultural product, service or
location.
In addition, the site has links to social media which

both users and farmers can use for interaction and
exchange of knowledge and experiences and other
farmer related links.
The other significant aspect of the site is the section
which has a provision to download materials and other
agricultural relevant information, which might include
research documents, periodic newsletters etc.
Specific Objectives of the Initiative

The site maintains the following information about a

particular farmer:
Name/title of contact person
Location and address of the farmer
Category of agricultural products
Photos (or links) of the produce
Link to the blog or Youtube
The site has the basic features of any common website.
It has a search bar for general search. By using a search
bar, the user can access general information about the
farmers or agricultural products. For example, if a user
types maize in the search bar, the site will bring a list of
farmers that stock maize, regardless of location. However,
a more precise search could be made by filling the search
form located on the home page of the site. By using this
form, the site is instructed to sort information in more
precise outcomes, according to the desire of the user.
This form contains the following information;

Location of farmer the user can type name of location by province and then district or town
Category of agricultural product the user can type
the category of the product, which could be crop,
livestock or service
Type of product user can type in a specific product
e.g. maize, wheat, cows etc.
After filling in the form, the user can then click on the
ok bar just after the form and the site will bring results,
for example listing farmers that deal in the particular
agricultural product of the users interest. By clicking on
the farmers name (which could either be a name of the
farmer or a business name), the site will link the user to
the farmers profile. By getting the information, the user
can contact the farmer using the mobile or fixed phones,
email or physical address.
| 90
Market and advertise agricultural products and services for young farmers
Provide a link between agricultural participants and
the users
Inform users about the type of agricultural products
available in a particular area
Enhance competition among farmers
Create a standard in market prices for agricultural
products
Save peoples time in looking for agricultural
products
Expose various agricultural activities practised in
Zambia
Implementation of the Initiative

In order to obtain the database needed by the site, a
simple structured form would be designed and deployed,
to be filled in by the young farmers in the Copperbelt
Province of Zambia. The form would be designed in such
a way that it furnishes the information required to be
uploaded on the Find the Young Farmer website, which
would include among other things the name of the farming business, contact person and address, type and category of agricultural products available etc. After the
form is filled in, a digital/video camera would be used to
capture photos and videos of the particular farmer,
including the agricultural products that are produced by
the farmer for sale. These farmers would be encouraged
to get trained in basic ICT literacy to allow them navigate
the internet. The information obtained is used to create
farmer profiles.
The website can be marketed to all government ministries and departments, telecentres, organizations and
also in the local press and media. By making the site
popular, the farmers product gets to be marketed and
advertised.
Sustainability
Conclusion
In order to run and manage the site, there is need to

obtain very good bandwidth. Funds required to pay the
hosting Internet Service Provider, administration, and
any other initiatives made towards enhancing marketing of the products, would be realized by making the
farmers pay for space. However, this is only possible
after the participating young farmers actually realize
the benefit of advertising the goods on Find the Young
Farmer website.
With the implementation of the Find the Young Farmer

website, farmers would have their agricultural products
highly advertised and consequently marketed. The farmers would reach out to a variety of customers for their
products. Users of the website would save time in looking
for farmers with a particular product that they need. It
should be noted here that the design, deployment and
implementation of the Find the Young Farmer website
involves the use of ICTs, in order to improve access to
market for agriculture products from young farmers on
the Copperbelt Province.
Bibliography
Economic Census, 2007, Central Statistics Office
National Youth Policy, 2006, written by The Ministry
of Sport Youth and Child Development.
National Plan of Action for Youth Development in

Zambia, 2009, written by The Ministry of Sport Youth
and Child Development
Youth Resettlement Scheme file, 2008, Land Resettlement Scheme, Vice Presidents Office
91 |
Akaffou Euphrm NDEPO

Cte dIvoire, West Africa
Propritaire dune ferme avicole et aulacodicole avec le groupement de jeunes que jai mis sur
pied, jarrive me doter dun revenu stable. Avec ce revenu, jai
suivi des cours dIngnieur en
agroalimentaire.
Ivoirien, n le 3 janvier 1985, jai effectu mes tudes

secondaires au lyce scientifique de Yamoussoukro, lyce
dexcellence o jai obtenu mon baccalaurat srie C.
Admis lcole suprieure de technologie (EST-LOKO),
jai dcroch un brevet de technicien suprieur en Chimie
et gnie alimentaire. Cest aprs lobtention de ce diplme
que se droule lhistoire que je relate dans ce document.
Aujourdhui titulaire dun diplme dIngnieur en
Agroalimentaire, je mets toutes mes connaissances au
service de mon activit agricole avec laquelle je compte
raliser des exploits plus grands.
Ma citation : Que celui qui ne travaille pas ne mange

pas non plus, 2 Thessaloniciens 3.1
Mon site prfr : http://www.practicalaction.org
Renseignements:
E-mail: euphry225@yahoo.fr
Blog: www.euphryagrifood.blogspot.com
Mes centres dintrt :

Dveloppement rural.
Technologies de linformation et de la
communication.
Lgende: Lors de latelier dchange et de formation des jeunes

des pays ACP sur les outils du Web 2.0 pour le Dveloppement
agricole et rural (Accra, 7-11 mars 2011)
| 92
Lhistoire dun jeune producteur agricole vivant en milieu rural

en Cte dIvoire
Irobo est une localit rurale situe dans le dpartement
de Jacqueville, cent kilomtres dAbidjan, la capitale
conomique de la Cte dIvoire. Cest dans cette contre
du littoral ivoirien que se droule lhistoire dun jeune
homme aujourdhui propritaire dune ferme avicole et
dune aulacoderie, et dont les TIC ont contribu la naissance et lessor de son activit agricole.
NDepo Euphrm est un jeune diplm ivoirien n en
1985. Titulaire dun diplme de technicien suprieur en
Chimie et gnie alimentaire, il se lance dans la qute dun
emploi pouvant lui permettre de gagner sa vie. Cependant,
cette qute va se solder par des checs qui vont contribuer aggraver sa situation sociale difficile. Selon le
Document stratgique de rduction de la pauvret
(DSRP) de la Cte dIvoire, le taux de pauvret tait de
49 % et 24,5 % respectivement en milieu rural et urbain
en 2002. La crise militaro-politique de 2002 accentuera
la pauvret en faisant passer les taux 62,45 % en milieu
rural et 29,45 % en milieu urbain. Ainsi, un Ivoirien sur
deux est pauvre. Aussi lenvironnement de lemploi
ntait-il pas reluisant. En effet, selon les statistiques de
la Caisse nationale de prvoyance sociale (CNPS), sur
26000 entreprises dclares avec 550000 emplois
avant la crise de 2002, le pays ne comptait plus que
13124 entreprises en 2006 pour moins de 300000
emplois, soit une baisse de 44 % de loffre des emplois
du secteur priv moderne au cours de la priode 20022006. Dans le mme temps, seul un dpart la retraite
sur dix est aujourdhui remplac dans la fonction publique. Dune manire gnrale, le chmage sest accru.
De 6,4% en 2002, le taux de chmage de la population
active est estim 15,7% en 2008. Le chmage des
jeunes, notamment des 15-24 ans, est le plus important.
Le taux de chmage de la population active de ce groupe
dge tait de 24,2 % en 2008 et celui des 25-34 ans de
17,5 % (Stratgie de relance du dveloppement et de
rduction de la pauvret, 2009). Selon lAgence pour la
promotion de lermploi (AGEPE), le taux de chmage
parmi les diplms du brevet de technicien suprieur,
dont fait partie Euphrm, est de 42%.
Face cet environnement dfavorable, il dcide se lancer
dans laviculture et laulacodiculture. De formation agroalimentaire, il ne possdait aucune notion en production
animale ou en zootechnologie. Pour pallier ce handicap,
il se rsolut suivre des formations qualifiantes en

levage dans des centres de formation ayant cette vocation. Cependant, les cots de formation trs levs
(environ 170000 FCFA par module) et la situation gographique trs dfavorable desdits centres constituaient
dautres obstacles surmonter. Cest ainsi que notre
jeune entrepreneur agricole va se souvenir du vivier
dinformations et de formations quest Internet. Il sest
souvenu des normes services que lui a rendus la toile
durant ses deux annes de formation de technicien
suprieur dans la capitale ivoirienne.Quant jtais
Abidjan en anne de BTS, Internet me rendait dnormes
services, raconte-t-il. Jy effectuais des recherches
pour prparer mes cours, pour toffer mes exposs et
me former personnellement; javais ce moment-l
rencontr sur la toile beaucoup dorganisations qui mettaient disposition gratuitement des informations scientifiques dans plusieurs domaines dont lagriculture
et lagroalimentaire. Cest ainsi quil dcida de se
tourner vers la toile pour sautoformer et entamer son
projet dlevage. Malheureusement, dans la localit o
il vit (Irobo), il ny avait pas de connexion Internet via
la ligne tlphonique. Pour avoir accs la toile, il fallait
se rendre Dabou, une localit situe 50 kilomtres
dIrobo, ce qui tait impossible pour lui vu la somme
dbourser chaque voyage. Pour contourner ce problme, Euphrm met en place un systme ingnieux quil
se plat expliquer avec beaucoup de fiert et denthousiasme: Bien que nayant pas Internet ma
disposition, je possdais un ordinateur qui servait doutil
de traitement de texte. Je me disais toujours que cet
outil pouvait me servir entrer en contact avec le
reste du monde. Cest ce qui va devenir une ralit avec
lavnement de lInternet par tlphone mobile ou par
GPRS. En effet, les compagnies de tlphonie mobile
venaient de lancer un nouveau produit quest lInternet
par GPRS sur tlphone mobile. En outre, il y avait une
technologie en vogue qui est le Bluetooth. Cest une
technologie qui permet deux tlphones dchanger
des donnes, de synchroniser des tlphones. Lorsque
deux tlphones sont connects par Bluetooth, si lun
a la connexion Internet par GPRS, le second tlphone
peut aussi bnficier de cette connexion pour avoir
accs la toile. Cest ce mme principe que jai appliqu entre mon ordinateur et un tlphone portable. En
effet, je bnficiais dune offre promotionnelle de 500
93 |
minutes gratuites daccs Internet sur mon tlphone

mobile. Jai ensuite acquis une cl Bluetooth que jai
installe sur mon desktop. Cela a permis mon ordinateur dtre synchronis avec tout tlphone mobile comportant la fonction Bluetooth. La connexion par Bluetooth
entre mon ordinateur et mon tlphone portable me
permettait ainsi davoir accs au net. Cest par ce canal
que jai effectu toute la recherche bibliographique
sur laviculture et laulacodiculture.
Grce la technologie du Bluetooth et de lInternet par
GPRS sur tlphone portable, Euphrm a pu entrer en
possession dinformations sur les projets agricoles, laviculture et laulacodiculture. Le site de la Fondation
Agromisa, travers ses publications tlchargeables en
ligne, ma permis de mautoformer en aviculture, en gestion de cooprative agricole et la commercialisation
des produits de la ferme. Quant au site de Vtrinaires
sans frontires, il ma permis de maitriser llevage des
agoutis. Jai exploit plusieurs autres sites web qui mont
rendu dnormes services dans le cadre de mon projet,
raconte-t-il.
La qualit de son projet lui a valu le financement du
conseil gnral de son dpartement administratif, avec
lencadrement technique de lAgence nationale dappui
au dveloppement rural (ANADER). Le conseil gnral a
assur le financement de la construction du poulailler,
de laulacoderie, la fourniture danimaux et daliments.
Pour permettre toute la communaut de jouir de ce
financement caractre public, Euphrm a mis sur pied,
sous la houlette de lANADER, un groupement de jeunes
leveurs dnomm VIAJEG (Groupement des jeunes
volontaires et actifs dIrobo), constitu essentiellement
de jeunes diplms universitaires (9 garons et 5 filles),
sans emploi, revenus quelques annes plus tt de la capitale ivoirienne. Le poulailler construit a une capacit de
1000 poulets de chair et laulacoderie une capacit de
plus de 500 sujets. Lactivit de la ferme procure un
emploi aux membres du groupement. Le bnfice net
bimensuel de plus 500000 FCFA permet damliorer les
conditions de vie des membres du groupement.
Le groupement mis en place aura encore recours aux
TIC. En effet, lachat de lalimentation industrielle sest
avr trop coteux et ne permettait donc pas de raliser
des marges bnficiaires intressantes. Grce aux
recherches effectues sur la toile, une formulation daliments de croissance a t mise au point. Cette formule
est un mlange de mas, de soja, de farine de poissons,
de sel, dos ou coquilles descargots et de prmix (concentr de vitamines). Elle a permis damliorer considrablement le chiffre daffaires du groupement et
denvisager lagrandissement de la ferme. Dautres projets
damlioration des activits du groupement sont en
prparation grce linformation scientifique disponible
sur Internet. La mise en uvre de ces projets permettra
de mettre en relief le rle important que peuvent jouer
les TIC dans la rsolution des problmes de pauvret et
de chmage dans les pays ACP.
Cette histoire vient mettre en exergue lnorme potentiel
que renferment les TIC en matire dinformation et dautoformation de la jeunesse (surtout diplme) des pays
ACP. Lexploitation judicieuse de linformation scientifique
disponible peut permettre la jeunesse africaine aujourdhui en proie la pauvret et au chmage de faire
face tous ces dfis qui se dressent devant elle. En suivant lexemple dEuphrm, elle pourra sautoformer et
entreprendre des projets afin de devenir autonome.
Rfrences
Document stratgique de rduction de la pauvret
(DSRP) de la Cte dIvoire, janvier 2002. http://www.
ins.ci/dsrp/dsrp-i%20version%201E.pdf
Stratgie de relance du dveloppement et de rduction
de la pauvret, 2009. http://imf.org/external/french/
pubs/ft/scr/2009/cr09156f.pdf
Site Internet Fondation Agromisa.

http://www.agromisa.org
Site Internet Vtrinaires sans frontires.
http://www.vsfe.org
Agence pour la promotion de lemploi (AGEPE)
| 94

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Emerging voices

in ICT and Agriculture

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1.2 ooperatives, entrepreneurs