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V i k a s N a t h . o r g Founder
www.DigitalGovernance.org Initiative www.DevNetJ
obs.org Initiative Manager, global public goods
Network, UNDP, Geneva
ICT for Agriculture Development
Overview of Agriculture IT Models and
some International Perspectives
WITFOR World IT Forum 31 August 2005, Gaborone,
Botswana 2005
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WHO NEEDS ICT FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS
Govt. Agriculture Dept.
Traders
Farmers
Agriculture Extensionists
AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE
Fishermen
Livestock Farms
A PROFILE OF THEAGRICULTUREGROUP
Livestock Herders
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THE 3 MAIN AREAS WHERE Information Technology
COULD IMPACT AGRICULTURE

• providing users Access to Communication
  Facilities
• phone, internet, email, fax, mobile phone. for
  getting
• market prices, information on upcoming pest and
• locust attacks, information on weather/ rain
  patterns.
• providing Interactive Demand Based Agriculture
  Services
• Government Agriculture Programs and Subsidies,
• Online application for loan facilities, online
  Trading (auction
• of coffee, tea, rubber), Online Agriculture
  Extension and
• Query Redressal, Information on Cropping Pattern
  and Fertilizer use.
• III. Undertaking Automation of Key Agriculture
  Functions
• Digitization of Land Records, Farm Management,
  Milk-Fat
• Measurement, Agriculture Statistics and
  Databases.

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IT for Agriculture Development Matching Service
Providers with Rural User Groups
GOVERNMENT PRIVATE SECTOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
AGRICULTUREUSER GROUPS
I N FO R M AT I O N TECHNOLOGY
Un- Employed
Agriculture Ministry
Farmers
Department of Livestock Development
Fishermen
Agriculture Workforce
Agriculture Banks
Agriculture Markets
Traders
Livestock Herders
Private Companies
Agriculture Extensionists
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INDIA Oddanchatram Market List of Commodity
Prices Date August 30, 2005 http//www.oddanchat
rammarket.com/
Banana Cauliflower Greenleaf Beans Chillies
Lablab Beetroot Chowchow Mango Bhendi (Ladies
Finger) Cluster beans Onion Bellari Onion Coconut
Pumpkin Bitter gourd Cow pea Snake gourd Bottle
gourd Drumstick Sour Orange Brinjal Ginger Tomato
Procurement Price Rs 3 (USD .7) per Kilogram
Stock Arrived 1200 Bags (15 Flowers/Bag)
Procurement Price Rs 5.50 (USD .12) per
Kilogram Stock Arrived 45 Tonness
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1. The system integrates all hydrology data from
   District DID (JPS) to the Shah Alam Hydrology
   Unit automatically and in real time.
2. It then provides real-time river monitoring to
   safequard life and property, and offers flood
   warnings through SMS.
3. The project simplifies government agency flood
   rescue operations.

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INDIA Fish Shoal Movements in the Indian Ocean
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INDIA Digitized Land Record Maps. This is a
Legal Document under the Digital Document Act and
can be used by farmers for getting loans from
financial institutions. Supportive IT Laws can
vastly enhance the utility of IT Projects
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Indonesia Want to buy a LIVE SHEEP?
Leave me a message
SpecificationsFor sale jamnapari goats ex
Indonesia. Quality breeders between 6 and 9
months old. Able to supply up to 450 goats per
month. Berat LahirBerat Dewasa Jantan 3 - 4 kg
  Jantan 68 - 91 kg Betina 3-4 kg   Betina 36-63
skg
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The FOCAL Point of IT for Development Services
should be

• Increasing the  Public Value of Services  being
  offered by Information Technology to the Farming
  Community?

What do you mean by PUBLIC VALUE of Services?
Okay, let me explain what that means?
O O i
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Case A pre-Information Technology Situation
V Value of Service being derived by the
Agriculture User U
V1B
A
B
V1A
U1
C
V2C
U2
U4
V4D
U3
D
V3D
V5D
U5
SERVICES (A, B, C, D)
AGRICULTURE USERS (5)
Total Public Value of Services derived U1V1
U2V2 U3V3 U4V4 U5V5
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3 WAYS to increase PUBLIC VALUE OF SERVICES

• Bring NEW USERS under the reach of the
  Information Technology
• Provide NEW SERVICES to Agriculture Workforce /
  Users
• Enhance the QUALITY OF EXISTING SERVICES being
  offered so that users derive greater Value from
  the same service.

THE SITUATION WILL THEN CHANGE..
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Case B post-Information Technology Situation
G
U6
U8
A
B
U1
U7
C
E
U2
U4
F
U3
D
U5
SERVICES (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
AGRICULTURE USERS (8)
New Public Value U1V1 U2V2 U3V3 U4V4
U5V5 .. UiVj
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Intelligent IT in Agriculture Projects

• Are key information needs of the Disadvantaged
  Groups being met?
• Has the weakest link in information flow from
  information source to the disadvantaged groups
  been corrected?
  For instance where local government offices do
  not have email connectivity, providing online
  services to the local community will not be
  useful.
• Are we supporting existing institutions and
  ongoing efforts aimed towards growth and
  development, or are we opposing them?
• Focus should be on training Agricultural
  Extensionists to allow them to use IT in their
  tasks and to reach out to more farming community

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Be Innovative, think Differently with IT as it
can make a meaningful difference in the
Agriculture Sector!
THANK YOU
VIKAS NATH Manager, global public goods Network,
UNDP Founder www.DigitalGovernance.org and
www.DevNetJobs.org Initiative http//www.VikasNa
th.org http//www.DigitalGovernance.org http//www
.DevNetJobs.org Email Vikas_at_DigitalGovernance.o
rg Vikas.nath_at_gmail.com