BoonaNET

1
BoonaNET SMS IM Mediated Price Information for
Crops in Ethiopia Samuel Kinde Kassegne,
Ashenafi Assefa and Mieso Denko Professor
of Engineering, San Diego State University, San
Diego, CA Project Coordinator, FeedeliX
Wireless, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Professor of
Computer Science, University of Guelph,
Canada. August 22, 2007, WITFOR 2007, Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia
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What the project is all about .

• BoonaNet the use of SMS (text messaging) and IM
  (instant messaging) technologies in LOCAL SCRIPT
  (Ethiopic) for commodity market information
  collection and retrieval. Commodities considered
  Coffee, Teff, and Berbere Red Pepper/Paprika.

Boona - Coffee
Ethiopic SMS
Ethiopic IM
Images courtesy Feedelix,WFP, LYIP, Savory,Oxfam
3
What we will cover in this talk .

• Project Objectives
• Enabling Technology
• Unique Application Localized SMS/IM for pricing
  info.
• What We Propose
• What We Have Done
• Commoditization Models for COFFEE, TEFF, and
  BERBERE
• Deployment of Technology BoonaNET and Extended
  BoonaNET
• Analysis of Data (Coffee, Teff, and Berbere)
• Pilot Project Evaluation
• Future Plans
• Acknowledgments

Images courtesy Feedelix,WFP, AFOZ
4
Project Objectives
The Ras Dashen Model Highest point in Ethiopia
Ras Dashen 4620 m
5
Goal 4 - Build database of commodity price
information mobile
Goal 5 - Demonstrate Impact on Commodities Market.
Towards Ambiqo- 4000 m
is (this Model this Metaphor)
Cheneq - 3600 m
Goal 3 - Recruit, train and deploy team in
coffee/teff/berbere regions.
Goal 1 - Introduction of SMS IM in local script
(Ethiopic)
Sanka-Ber - 3240 m
Goal 2 - Build infrastructure for commodity price
system (hardware servers software client).
1
Gondar 2200 m
Images courtesy WFP, LYIP, Savory. WWGT
5
Technical Basis Enabling Technology
Mapping Rendering Technology for Non-Latin
Scripts Mobile Phones
Feedelix Core Technology BREAK the SCRIPT
BARRIER - Make Mobile Content Available on Any
Device Any Platform Anytime. Existing
Solution Hindi, Ethiopic, Chinese (Q4-07),
Arabic (Q1-08), More Indic (08).
Mapped to 12 keys
345 char
1- Any device
Chinese Script (Pin-Yin)
Arabic Script variants (Persian, Urdu, etc)
New SMS traffic trans. protocol
Ethiopic Script
Feedelix Server
2 - Anytime
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Unique Application Commodity Prices

• BROAD QUESTION Can our technology be used to
  impact ordinary lives in developing countries now
  that mobile devices are ubiquitous?
• FACTS ON THE GROUND
• Farmers are getting paid a fraction of the value
  of their crops and continue to live in perpetual
  poverty 85 of Ethiopia
• Current commodity price information is based on
  radio and print media (Once in 2 weeks for
  coffee). No technology for real-time information
  is available. Need technology with Local Script
  (writing systems) support.
• Successful model in the use of SMS (Roman/Latin
  script) for market information demonstrated in
  Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, etc. Kace Kenya

Images courtesy Feedelix, WHO
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What We Propose..

• Provide market and price content using
  technology Mobile as well as desktop.
  Languages/Script Amharic, Tigrigna, and Afaan
  Oromo.

Commodities considered teff (Gojam, Bishoftu,
etc), berbere, coffee (Jimma/Kaffa and
Sidamo) SPECIFIC QUESTION What are the
technology and infrastructure conditions unique
to Ethiopia and other dev. countries such as
India?

• Merits
• Higher/Competitive prices for goods
• Bargaining power for farmers

• Broader Impact
• Empower networking effect
• Make the Ethiopian farmer compete at previously
  out-of-reach levels say regional global
  markets.
• Poverty Alleviation

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What We Have Done.. Infrastructure Work

• Logistics
• Fine-tune SMS/IM technology to Ethiopian
  conditions.
• Selection of Commodity/Locations
• Team Selection Early technology adopters
• Training and Deployment

Dejen
Jimma/Kaffa
Mareqo
Alaba
Dilla
US Team
ET Team
5 locations Coffee Jimma, Dilla, AA. Teff
Dejen, Berbere Mareqo, Alaba.
Images courtesy FeedeliX.
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Workflow of Coffee Commoditization Model 1
Free Trade
Wholesaler Value Added Coffee sorting washing
Collectors
Farmer
Sent to Addis
Export
Premium quality
Auction
Ranking of coffee. Grade 1, 2, 3, etc.
Supermarket in local market.
Sold in local market.
Failed quality
Images courtesy WFP, Oxfam.
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Workflow of Coffee Commoditization Model 2
Cooperatives
Cooperatives Value Added Coffee processing
transport to Addis
Farmer
Sold to Fair - Trade
Unions
Sold in local market.
Images courtesy WFP, LYIP, Savory.
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Workflow of Teff Commoditization
Farmer Traders - (Aggregators) Buy grain from
small farmers at local markets. Twice/week.
Stored till shipping to Addis.
Small-scale Farmers
Sent to Addis
Ranking of Teff Grades 1st - Magna, 2nd
Sergegna 3rd Abolle 4th Qey/Tiqur
Sell Points Ihil Berenda/Mesalemiya - Merkato
Area
Images courtesy Projects Abroad, MediaETHIOPIA
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Workflow of Berbere Commoditization
Traders - Buy grain from small farmers at local
markets. Thrice/week.
Small-scale Farmers
Sold by Feresula 17 Kg (Addis, Mareqo) 20 Kg
(Alaba)
Sent to Addis
Ranking of Berbere Grades 1st -Zala, 2nd
Foshe 3rd Tala
Sell Points Berbere Tera- Merkato Area
Images courtesy Projects Abroad, MediaETHIOPIA
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Technology Deployment How Does BoonaNet Work?
Daily price manifesto posted to farmers/traders
Coffee Farmer
Feedelix data collectors in Addis
Jimma
SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Jimma Real
Time
FeedelSMS
Feedelix Server (virtual Addis Ababa)
FeedelMessenger
Dilla
Amharic SMS/IM from desktop
SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Dilla Real
time
Coffee Farmer
Images courtesy IAS
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Technology Deployment How Does ExtendedBoonaNet
Work?
Daily price manifesto posted to farmers/traders
SMS/IM price in US/Europe to Farmer in Jimma
Real Time
Feedelix data collectors in Addis
Coffee Farmer
J1
Jimma
SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Jimma Real
Time
J2
Ad1
US1
J3
Ad2
FeedelSMS
Feedelix Server (virtual Addis Ababa)
FeedelMessenger
Feedelix Server (US) Team in US
Ad3
Amharic SMS/IM from desktop
Dilla
D1
US2
Ad4
SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Dilla Real
time
D2
SMS/IM price in US/Europe to Farmer in Dilla
Real Time
D3
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Analysis of Data Coffee
Price Birr/Kg
Days
Price/Kilogram in Birr August 6-20, 07
6-10 diff. Between AA Jimma.
Days
Images courtesy Feedelix
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Analysis of Data Teff
lt 5 price diff bet AA Dejen
20 price diff bet AA Dejen
Price/Quintal in Birr (100Kg) August 6-20, 07
Does the onset of the Orthodox Christian Fasting
season (16 days) on August 7/8 affect Teff
prices?
15-33 price diff bet AA Dejen
Images courtesy Feedelix
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Analysis of Data Berbere
Price/Kilogram in Birr. August 6-20, 07
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Pilot Project Assessment / Evaluation

• Technical Challenges
• Internet Connectivity/Reliability
• Lost productivity time. App (FeedelMessenger) too
  big for bandwidth to install through web
  download. Thumb-drives and Hawala!
• Data interruption on 20 of time. Worst last
  week.
• Cost over-run for idle personnel during downtime.
  No bandwidth for debugging software problems.
• Debugging of web-application easier ( perhaps
  cheaper?) in US.
• National competitiveness in attracting business
  opportunities seriously affected. Rwanda, Kenya,
  Uganda, Ghana benefiting. Why not Ethiopia?
• Opportunities for our bright young men and women
  to be integrated to the global knowledge force
  seriously hampered.
• New Millennium - new thinking Allow competition
  in ISP.
• Nation-wide SMS Gateway Availability
• Work-arounds are possible but affects
  scalability.
• Will perhaps change in due time

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Pilot Project Assessment / Evaluation

• Data Validity
• Duration of data collection 2 weeks.
• Classification of commodity not uniform. Dejens
  Magna teff can be sold as Sergegna in Addis, etc.
• Collection/Harvest time for crops (October for
  coffee, December-January for Teff).
• Commodity-Specific Issues
• Coffee has a unique commoditization model.

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Project Assessment
Ras Dashen 4620 m
5
Goal 4 - Build database of commodity price
information mobile
Goal 5 - Demonstrate Impact on Commodities Market.
Towards Ambiqo- 4000 m
Cheneq - 3600 m
Goal 3 - Recruit, train and deploy team in
coffee/teff/berbere regions.
Goal 1 - Introduction of SMS IM in local script
(Ethiopic)
Sanka-Ber - 3240 m
Goal 2 - Build infrastructure for commodity price
system (hardware servers software client).
1
Gondar 2200 m
Images courtesy WFP, LYIP, Savory. WWGT
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Future Plans

• Our Immediate Plan Calls for
• Completion and automation for repeat at coffee
  harvest time. Extended infrastructure needed.
• ETCropNet From Pilot project to
  brick-and-mortar presence in Ethiopia.
• BharatCropNet New Markets (such as India)
  Pilot project Q4 08.
• Actively pursuing external fund to finance these
• projects.

BhahratiFasalNet
Deliverable Pilot Project that launches a
network effect to empower Ethiopian peasants
Images courtesyFeedelix
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Thanks.

• Shiferaw Abebe Addis Ababa (Former Graduate
  student)
• Ted Kidane (Feedelix Wireless - USA)
• Feedelix Team Members
• Ashenafi Assefa Addis Ababa
• Selamu Assefa Addis Ababa
• Hayat Regassa Alaba
• Jilalu Butajira Mareqo
• Achenf Tamagn Dejen, Gojam
• Dereje Tafesse Jimma/Kaffa
• Shemsedin Nur Dilla, Sidamo
• Shantanu Chawla San Diego, CA, USA
• Samuel Kinde Kassegne San Diego, CA, USA

Questions ??