1. V i k a s N a t h . o r g ICT for Agriculture Development:
Founder:
Initiative
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

2. WHO NEEDS ICT FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Govt.
Agriculture
Dept.
Traders
Farmers
AGRICULTURE
WORKFORCE
Agriculture
Extensionists
Fishermen
Livestock
Farms
A PROFILE OF THE AGRICULTUREGROUP
Livestock
Herders

3. THE 3 MAIN AREAS WHERE Information Technology COULD IMPACT AGRICULTURE:
providing users Access to Communication Facilities:
phone, internet, , 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.

4. I N FO R M AT I O N TECHNOLOGY
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

5. INDIA: Oddanchatram Market
List of Commodity Prices
Date: August 30, 2005
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

6. MALAYSIA: E-Flood Information DID (JPS) Selangor State
The system integrates all hydrology data from District DID (JPS) to the Shah Alam Hydrology Unit automatically and in real time.
It then provides real-time river monitoring to safequard life and property, and offers flood warnings through SMS.
The project simplifies government agency flood rescue operations.

7. INDIA: Fish Shoal Movements in the Indian Ocean

8. Digitized Land Record Maps.
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

9. Indonesia: Want to buy a LIVE SHEEP?
Leave me a message
Price Terms:
 FOB
Specifications: For 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 kg  
Jantan kg
Betina 3-4 kg  
Betina skg
Company Name:
Medanova Commodities Sdn Bhd
Contact Person:
Mr Rajalingam Theva Raj
ADDRESS: 6th Floor, Suite 18, IOI Business Park, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Malaysia, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia, Malaysia
PHONE:

10. 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

11. Case A: pre-Information Technology Situation
V= Value of Service being derived by the Agriculture User: U
V1B A B
V1A U1
V2C C U2 U4
V4D U3
V3D D
V5D U5
SERVICES (A, B, C, D)
AGRICULTURE USERS (5)
Total Public Value of Services derived = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5

12. 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…..

13. Case B: post-Information Technology SituationD U5
SERVICES (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
AGRICULTURE USERS (8)
New Public Value = U1V1 + U2V2 + U3V3 + U4V4 + U5V5 +….. + UiVj

14. 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 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

15. THANK YOU VIKAS NATH http://www.VikasNath.org
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: and Initiative