mAgriculture: Future of Info-Poor Community

Majority of the small holder farmers are from developing countries and it is important to make the actionable information reach them in time. The farmers in the villages are struggling for the advisory and critical information related to the farming and allied activities. Most of the farmers still believe in the conservation methods of farming and the new technology information in all agricultural knowledge domain should reach them in a quick time. The static and dynamic information are both necessary to make info-poor community empowered.  All these information directly results in increased productivity and high income from their produces.

Mobile phones are emerging as the best tool for dissemination of information in agriculture, livestock, market intelligence and agrimet knowledge to farmers in the developing world; and so is the involvement of agriculture youth to properly understand how this low cost technology can be reaped for the benefit of the farmers.

Adopting Mobile phones for knowledge dissemination in every extension project can widen the information reach within the community. Being involved in this sector since the start of my career I foresee that no other tools can be more powerful and cost effective than Mobile technology for all advisory, alerts and other dynamic information required by farmers which is delivered directly to farmers through a device. I have personally interviewed many farmers during "User Testing" of a mobile service where I got feedback of farmers selling their produce at higher price because of getting market price information of adjacent 2-3 markets. The farmers were able to make decision from home directly, saving the travelling cost plus other hazards. One farmer revealed that the disease symptoms advisory services helped them in timely diagnosis and cure of disease in cattle.

The strategic use of mobile technology with appropriate and authenticated content is the key to success of a Mobile Agriculture/Livestock/Market Price/Agrimet/Oceanic Services.  Organizations like NGOs, research institutions, extension centres, agriculture universities plays an important role and its win win situation for everyone in the system.