Can ICT transform the sustainable agriculture production scenario and bridge the divide and the inequalities among group

1. Can ICT transform the sustainable agriculture production scenario and bridge the divide and the inequalities among groups? P. Adhiguru National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP) New Delhi

2. Changing Agricultural Scenario • Globalization and liberalization Consumer interest • Changing consumer preferences • Diversification of food basket • Quality food products • Value added/ processed food products • Competitive price NCAP

3. Changing Agricultural Scenario National • Raising and stabilizing income over seasons • Generating employment opportunities • Alleviating poverty and undernourishment • Participating effectively in new trade regime • Regional equity • Improving food security • Improving sustainable farming systems NCAP

4. Information is vital-Why?(in the context of globalization) • Yield enhancement • Production efficiency • Judicious use of inputs • Knowledge intensive technologies • Precision farming • Quality farm produce • Grading and standardization • Information access cost reduction • Transaction cost reduction • Cold chain management NCAP

5. Information is vital-Why?(in the context of globalization) • Post harvest processing • Overcoming price instability • Glut avoidance • Risk management • Export oriented production • Increasing cropping intensity • Diversification • Reduction of intermediaries • Efficient credit utilization • Loss prevention (Natural/pests & diseases) NCAP

6. Information needs of farmers • Input market • Technological information (E.g. Enterprise mix) • Financial market • Output market • Consumer market • Socio-economic development • Special information (e.g Early warning system, Crop Insurance, ) NCAP

7. Information flow inadequacy • Inadequate extension coverage • Less interactive • Time consuming • Multi-step communication channel • Traditional methods become expensive. NCAP

8. Dividers and issues NCAP

9. Share of operational holdings by size group NCAP Source: Jha, D. Presidential Address, ISAE, 2001

10. ICTs potential in transforming agriculture and bridging the divide • Broadening content coverage • Providing time sensitive/customized/ early warning information/standardized calculations • Complementing traditional extension/ information service • Disseminating messages far and wide very quickly. • Providing scope for equal accessibility to vulnerable groups (small& marginal farmers, women) NCAP

11. ICTs potential in transforming agriculture and bridging the divide • Providing alternative solutions to a set of problematic situations/ scenarios, thereby facilitating decision making based on optimum combinations of solutions. • Improving two-way vertical and horizontal communications within extension institutions and with other developmental organizations. • Receiving bottom-up articulation of development needs/ perceptions of farmers and rural households. NCAP

12. ICTs potential in transforming agriculture and bridging the divide • Creating awareness and providing details about agricultural programs empower the farmers. • Reducing transaction costs in accessing information, purchasing inputs and sale of outputs. • Providing regional specific information to satisfy farmers’ needs (e.g. contents of soils, local policies etc.) • Direct involvement of scientists/technology developer in the preparation of technological messages and in answering queries thereby reducing distortion of messages. • Flexibility in terms of time and frequency for accessing the information by users add value to time. NCAP

13. Strategies and Policies • Formulate conducive ICT policy in Agriculture at national and state level. • Policies with regard to tax and tariff to be conducive for faster ICT infrastructure development in rural areas. • National Agricultural Research System to be more proactive in user friendly, need based and locally relevant content development, hosting and inter-linking of web-sites. • Periodic assessment of information needs and information access preferences of farmers to be done so as to make ICT demand driven. • Location specific need assessment is to include group specific needs. • Capacity building programs are to include group specific sensitivity training modules. NCAP

14. Emphasis on gender equity by providing women’s accesses to ICT, ensuring women-oriented content, and increased women participation in application of ICT. • Include contents so as to attract youth who can serve as sparkplug in in use of kiosks. Because youth tend to be less computer shy. • Pooling of resources, aggregation of demand, scale neutrality to benefit small holders. • Self-help group approach to enhance affordability of the group to avail services or use resources. • Socio-psychological-cultural assessment be made to integrate ICT model with local culture. • Enterprise wise time sensitivity assessment for designing static, dynamic and real time content, early warning system. • More thrust on wireless ICT model to suit to remote areas/hilly areas/ less populated hamlets. • Use of graphics, voice-overs, vernacular user interface software to enhance cognitive access of illiterates- semi-literates. • Demand driven technology baskets to form the core content for dissemination. NCAP

15. To Sum up • Information and Interface: Media planning and capacity building • Integrated support: Quality service & Infrastructure • Institutional arrangement: Complimenting Public-Private partnership • Incentives: use of advanced & alternative technologies • Investment:Increasing public investment for infrastructure and Agri-ICT programs NCAP

16. Thank you