SUCCESS STORIES ON

INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
FOR AGRICULTURE AND
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Second edition
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development
 IX
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

SUCCESS STORIES ON
INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
FOR AGRICULTURE AND
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Second edition

Edited by
Gerard Sylvester

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Bangkok, 2017
 II

©Ghosh Nimai Chandra

 III

Contents

Foreword VII
...........................................................................................
Acknowledgements VIII
...........................................................................................
Acronyms and abbreviations IX
...........................................................................................
Introduction
........................................................................................... 1
Case Study 1: Digital Green: Leveraging social networks for agricultural
........................................................................................... 3
extension
Case Study 2: e-Krishok: Making ICT work for farmers – a 360-degree
ICT-enabled solution to empower farmers
........................................................................................... 17
Case Study 3: Adapting consumer technology to combat illegal fishing in
........................................................................................... 27
Timor-Leste
Case Study 4: Mobile GAP Assessment System: New technology for family
farms involved in quality assurance schemes
........................................................................................... 37
Case Study 5: The revolutionary PRIDE™ model by mKRISHI® – empow-
ering farmers to live with dignity
........................................................................................... 55
Case Study 6: Mobile Market Information Service: A pilot project of ICT use
for smallholder farmers in Papua New Guinea
...........................................................................................
69
Case Study 7: Nano Ganesh – a revolutionary ICT tool for farm irrigation
........................................................................................... 79
IV

Figures
1. Mr Narshingh Lal, an orange farmer, proudly showing the orange trees he planted after
watching the video from Digital Green..................................................................................................................6
2. A local video production team in the process of creating a video using local actors.............................................9
3. A vibrant discussion amongst the community, following a video screening in Ghana........................................10
4. Improved social status – a group of empowered women farmers with Ms Pinky Devi (centre)..........................12
5. The e-Krishok service.........................................................................................................................................20
6. e-Krishok logo....................................................................................................................................................21
7. Farmbook’s administration panel........................................................................................................................22
8. Farmbook validation report.................................................................................................................................22
9. Mr Md. Awal and his tomato farm......................................................................................................................23
10. Farmer consulting with the BIID team.................................................................................................................24
11. Mr Md. Sadir Udding Pradhan in his lychee orchard..........................................................................................25
12. A type of fishing craft commonly used around Timor-Leste...............................................................................27
13. A fisher with a PLB.............................................................................................................................................28
14. One button to report IUU, one for emergencies..................................................................................................30
15. Data from the PLBs can be tracked online..........................................................................................................30
16. Fishers learn to use the devices..........................................................................................................................31
17. Fisheries inspectors equipped with PLBs aboard a commercial fishing vessel...................................................34
18. A local fisher brings home his catch...................................................................................................................36
19. The ‘Q’ mark on an agricultural product certified by the Department of Agriculture............................................38
20. Samkha village, representative of family farms in remote areas of Thailand.......................................................39
21. Wild fire, flash floods and drought resulting from human activity upset the natural balance..............................40
22. Ms Srinuan Wongtrkul acts as a community information broker........................................................................40
23. Before (2005, left) and now (right), Samkha reservoir and a check dam network have
rejuvenated the community.................................................................................................................................41
24. Rice camp organized by RMUTL and NECTEC in July, 2009...............................................................................41
25. Students of Samkha community as IT facilitators...............................................................................................44
26. Home page of the Mobile GAP Assessment System...........................................................................................45
27. CBs and internal auditors learning together for system implementation.............................................................46
28. Workflow of the Mobile GAP Assessment System..............................................................................................47
29. Screenshot of the GAP-01 form. Farm and farmer’s registration format.............................................................48
30. Screenshot of the GAP-02 form. Farm data input form for the traceability system.............................................48
31. Screenshot of the GAP-03 form on Android devices. Farm.................................................................................49
32. Screenshot of the GAP-04 form on Android devices. Recommendations to improve
production based on certification results............................................................................................................50
33. Components of the system.................................................................................................................................52
34. Ms Nari Inmapan with her quality rice products for sale; a pioneer group of
internal auditors trained on system use..............................................................................................................53
 V

35. Conventional PRIDE™ framework.......................................................................................................................56

36. The impact of PRIDE™ empowered with the mKRISHI® technology..................................................................57
37. Interactions among various mKRISHI® components.........................................................................................58
38. The CROPS™ framework....................................................................................................................................59
39. CHPCL company logo.........................................................................................................................................60
40. The TCS mKRISHI® team’s field training for PRIDE™ farmers (vermicomposting)...........................................61
41. Capacity building flow – CHPCL..........................................................................................................................62
42. Linkages – CHPCL..............................................................................................................................................63
43. TCS’s expansion plan..........................................................................................................................................66
44. Mobile phone screen with composed message for potato..................................................................................73
45. Map indicating the urban markets.......................................................................................................................74
46. A farmer controlling his pump by mobile phone.................................................................................................80
47. Night visits to a water pump...............................................................................................................................81
48. Nano Ganesh flow chart......................................................................................................................................83
49. Nano Ganesh operation sequence.......................................................................................................................85
50. Nano Ganesh C with a mobile phone..................................................................................................................86
51. A local village electrician is vital for ICT implementation in irrigation.................................................................87
52. Precise irrigation control.....................................................................................................................................88
53. Advocacy of ICT at rural exhibitions....................................................................................................................91
54. Analytics of water pumps possible.....................................................................................................................92

Boxes
1. A farmer’s story..................................................................................................................................................... 4
2. A perspective from a community leader............................................................................................................... 42
3. A farmer who learned how to use technology with children................................................................................. 45
4. A software developer............................................................................................................................................ 46
5. System components............................................................................................................................................ 51

Tables
1. Crop type, code units and variables.....................................................................................................................72
2. Steps used in creating SMS to obtain market information...................................................................................73
3. Nano Ganesh C product details............................................................................................................................87
 VI

©Min Zaw
 VII

Foreword
Agriculture has undergone many transformations over thousands of years. Humanity
has moved from a society of hunter-gatherers to an agrarian community and then to one
where agriculture is handled as an industry, yet still primarily supported at the source
by smallholder family farms. While machines have, largely, replaced the manual plough,
modern technology, or e-agriculture applications, hold out great promise as the next
transformation in this sector.
As we know, the task of producing food for more than seven billion people is not an easy
one. This is further compounded by difficulties posed by climate change, competition
for increasingly scarce resources, limited availability of arable land, disease and pest
infestations, food loss and waste among others.
These challenges are immense for smallholder farmers and family farmers. There are
more than 500 million family farms in the world. They range from smallholders and
medium scale operations, to peasants, indigenous peoples, traditional communities,
fisher folk, pastoralists and many other groups worldwide who rely on the land and the
seas for subsistence.
The growth of information and communication technologies, or ICTs, over the last de-
cade has been phenomenal. From 2G/3G connectivity, we are now in a phase where
we discuss sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, Internet of
Things (IoTs) and Big Data. These developments should be harnessed in an affordable
way to benefit the majority of small holders. If a simple SMS message can alert the
farmer or fisher – indeed alert the whole community – about important information,
then this is a major step in the right direction and it benefits everyone, from producers
to consumers.
Information and Communication Technologies can transform lives and improve
livelihoods – more so for people involved in agriculture and allied activities. ICTs can
also increase access to financial services for rural communities, helping to secure sav-
ings, find affordable insurance and tools to better manage risk. ICTs also widen the
reach of local communities, including women and youth, and provide newer business
opportunities thereby enhancing livelihoods.
The following pages document a collection of case studies, originally printed in 2015,
and highlight some of the promising uses of ICT in the agricultural and rural domains.
Going forward, FAO, together with our partners, will continue to identify and promote
sustainable and scalable ICT solutions for the benefit of all.
Dr Kundhavi Kadiresan
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
VIII

A cknowledgements
This is the second edition of this publication, previously released in 2015.

Together with the countries, organizations and individuals acknowledged in the first
edition, the support and guidance of the current FAO Assistant Director-General and
Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Dr Kundhavi Kadiresan is kindly
acknowledged.

Gerard Sylvester
Regional Knowledge and Information Management Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
 IX

A cronyms
and abbreviations
ACFS The National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards,
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
AIGS Agricultural Innovative Grant Scheme
AgriCommS™ Agri Commerce System
AgriKnoB™ Agri Knowledge Base
AusAID Australian Agency for International Development
APIs Application programming interface
B2B Business to Business
B2C Business to Customer
BAIF Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation
BIID Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development
BoP Base of the Pyramid
CB Certification Body
CHPCL Chennai Horticulture Produce Producer Company Ltd
COCO Connect Online Connect Offline
COCOBOD Ghana Cocoa Board
CROPS™ Crop Rotation, Optimization and Planning System
CRPs Community Resource Persons
CRS Catholic Relief Services
DA Development Agent
EFR Electronic Farm Record
FPDA Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), PNG
G2B Government to Business
GAP Good Agricultural Practice
GDP Gross Domestic Product
X

ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research

ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics
ICT4D Information and Communication Technology for Development
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IQS Institute of Product Quality and Standardization, Maejo University, Thailand
IT Information Technology
IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
IVR Interactive Voice Response
JSON JavaScript Object Notation
KM Knowledge Management
KVK Krishi Vigyan Kendra
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MJU Maejo University
MOOC Massive Online Open Course
MMIS Mobile Market Information Service, PNG
NDFA National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture
NECTEC National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Thailand
NSTDA National Science and Technology Development Agency, Ministry of Science
and Technology Thailand
OS Operating System
PHP Personal Home Page
PLB Personal Locator Beacon
PNG Papua New Guinea
PRIDE™ The Progressive Rural Integrated Digital Enterprise
QR Quick Response
RFLP Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia
RMUTL Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, Thailand
SAAO Subassistant Agriculture Officers
 XI

SAR Search and Rescue

SFAC Small Farmers Agriculture Business Consortium
TAC Technical Advisory Committee
TCS TATA Consultancy Services
TNAU Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
T&V Training and Visit (method)
VMS Vessel Monitoring Systems
WSVGA Wide Super Video Graphics Array
WVGA Wide Video Graphics Array
WXGA Wide Extended Graphics Array

©koya979/Shutterstock.com
 XII

©Mosista/Shutterstock.com
 1

Introduction
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Family farming remains the predominant form of agriculture in Asia and the Pacific.

There are more than 570 million farms in the world of which over 500 million are
family-owned. They are responsible for at least 56 percent of agricultural production.
These smallholder resource-poor farmers are confronted by many challenges – the
negative impact of climate change, increased frequency of natural disasters, loss of
biodiversity, crude oil price hikes, rapid expansion of bioenergy development, increasing
food price volatility, inefficient supply chains and others. The information needs of
farmers will only increase as they have to make more and more complex decisions on
the use of their land, selection of the agricultural commodities they plant, choice of
markets to sell their agricultural products and other necessary decisions that impact the
livelihoods of their families and society. Indeed, agriculture is becoming increasingly
knowledge-intensive.

© Denphumi/Shutterstock.com
2
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©Rauf Alamsyah
Conversely, we have witnessed the development of information communication
technology, or ICT, as a major driver of economic growth. In addition, emerging ICTs
have provided new opportunities to address the challenges faced by agriculture. For
example, increasing use of mobile phones for information exchange, such as disease
surveillance and pest tracking, is now common practice. Linking knowledge to innovation
is also crucial to addressing the information and knowledge gaps in the agriculture
sector. Therefore, ICTs can also play a very important role in bridging information gaps.
FAO has been promoting the use of ICTs in agriculture and has focused on ICT innovation
for improving agricultural production and enhancing value chains. This publication is an
effort to share success stories on the use of ICTs for agriculture and rural development.
A follow up to the FAO publication Information and communication technologies
for sustainable agriculture (http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3557e/i3557e.pdf), this
knowledge-sharing effort helps to ensure that innovations are widely shared and a wide
range of stakeholders is benefited, thereby contributing to efforts for creating a ‘world
without hunger’.
This publication showcases a few case studies where innovative use of emerging
technologies together with capacity development has brought about rich dividends.
Digital Green’s experiences in knowledge sharing among rural communities to Nano
Ganesh’s innovative use of technology in switching on irrigation pumps have the
potential to contribute significantly to the livelihoods of farming communities.
 3
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 1:
Digital Green: Leveraging social
networks for agricultural extension
Rikin Gandhi 1

Philosophy and strategy: Participatory video to improve existing agricultural

extension systems
Overview
Digital Green’s early roots were formed as a Microsoft Research Project in Bangalore.
Founded in 2006 by Rikin Gandhi, the project was part of an effort to test different ways
of using technology for social development. More specifically, the project focused on
testing the use of participatory videos as a means of agricultural extension. The approach
was substantially more effective as a means of extension than existing conventional
agricultural extension programmes.

The use of video for agricultural extension was by no means a new approach and Digital
Green was inspired by a number of different projects. These can be broadly categorized
as information technology for agricultural development, video in agricultural extension
and mediated instruction for effective training with video. Digital Green weaves together
the best of these three strands into a novel system that maximizes the impact of
agriculture extension workers and adds the critical element of community engagement
and participation throughout the process. Based on the success of the project, Digital
Green was formally established as an NGO in 2008, with offices in Bangalore, Karnataka
in India and Berkeley, California in the USA.
Background and context: Agricultural extension systems in India
Small-scale farmers make up about 70 percent of India’s farming community, but
experience deep economic and social inequities in comparison to large land-holding
farmers. Indeed, recent studies have revealed that most small-scale farmers no longer
view farming as a sustainable livelihood source. Even Mr Santosh Sharma, who is
regarded as a relatively well-off farmer in his village, says, “Farming is no longer a
dependable source of income. It was during my father’s and grandfather’s generations,
but now everything is changing, from the market to the environment. Now I tell my
children that they should study well and get jobs outside the village, because that is the
only way they can have a good life.” Mr Sharma’s story is related in Box 1.
1
Digital Green, India: [email protected]
4
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Box 1. A farmer’s story

©Digital Green
A farmer explains the effects of the climate on his crops
In January, the wheat fields sown in the previous year all over Rajgarh District of
the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are flourishing. Their long stalks sway elegantly
in the breeze and the ears of the grain are ripening into plump seeds. However, the
picture is not as rosy as it appears to the untrained eye and the changing weather
has wreaked great damage on the crop. Everywhere, large patches in wheat fields
have been flattened by excessive rain and wind. The kernels of wheat are full of water
from dew and fog, and the seeds inside are rotting from the uncharacteristic lack of
sunshine.
Despite the obvious problems caused by the weather, Mr Santosh Sharma, a
long-time farmer from Biaorakala village (Khilchipur block, Rajgarh District) remains
positive about his own wheat fields. When prompted, he explained that this year he
has chosen to plant a different variety of wheat. This newer strain, called Variety
322, is more resistant to climate change in addition to giving a higher yield of grain.
Each seed produces a greater number of individual stalks – about ten per seed as
opposed to about six per seed in the older varieties and each stalk is thicker than earlier
varieties. Variety 322 is better able to withstand the wind, rain and excessive
moisture that the region is facing this season. While Mr Santosh still anticipates a
lower yield than if the weather was more amenable, he is grateful that his crops have
managed to withstand the climatic challenges to some degree.
Santosh is one of the few farmers from his village who has managed to cope with
the weather this year, and attributes this to the videos on wheat cultivation that
he watched. These short eight-to-ten minute documentaries, developed by Digital
Green along with its partners in the local NGO ACCESS, as well as the village
community, demonstrate best agricultural practices for farmers. The videos are
 5
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

made in the local language by the community, for the community, using members
from the community as actors. Santosh has not only seen most of the videos devel-
oped in his district, but also featured in some of them. He has adopted several of the
practices, and is a strong advocate of the video-based learning process amongst his
peers.
Explaining what he finds successful about the approach, Santosh says, “Not only do
videos allow farmers to see a visual demonstration of the entire process, they also
feature practices that can easily be tested. For example, I planted Variety 322 on a
small part of my land last year. When I saw that it gave me a bigger yield than the
other variety, I decided to plant more of it this year. I am lucky, because it is also
stronger and better at surviving in this bad weather.” Furthermore, he adds, “Farmers
are always keen to learn new and better ways of growing their crops. The videos
are helpful because the entire process is visually demonstrated and explained in our
own language by farmers from our own community. All this makes it easier for us
to understand.”

Public investment in agriculture has also fallen over the past few decades. While
some of this decrease has been offset by the private sector, these investments tend to
concentrate on larger, more mechanized farms. The largely traditional approach to
agricultural extension in countries like India has further isolated and increased the
vulnerability of small-scale farmers. During India’s green revolution of the 1970s and
1980s, the most commonly used method of extension was the Training and Visit method
(T&V method), which followed a top-down approach to information dissemination. The
purpose of the T&V approach is to encourage farmers to increase production of specified
crops. However, planning is controlled centrally and field personnel tend to be
dependent on central resources; there is a rigid pattern of visits to farmers and in-service
training of field staff. While the approach provides scientific and technical support, it
lacks genuine two-way communication and the flexibility required to make it respon-
sive to the local situation. The T&V approach gave way to extension programmes that
have focused instead on developing more participatory, decentralized, demand-driven
services. These approaches are also better tailored to addressing the diversity of culture,
language, geography and other socio-economic and environmental factors, tailoring
information to the local context.
Despite several efforts to reach small-scale farmers, however, India’s current extension
system often fails to effectively communicate with them. This is largely due to issues
such as generic, top-down content to which the farmers cannot relate. While the content
may be scientifically accurate, it may not be presented in a way that the farmers can easily
grasp, either due to language barriers or because it is presented in brief or abstractly. Mr
Narsingh Lal, another progressive farmer from Santosh’s village says, “Earlier, people
6
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

from NGOs or the government used to come and visit us and tell us about good farming
practices. While it was helpful, it was sometimes difficult to understand exactly what they
meant, because they were explaining everything verbally. The videos are better, because
we can see the entire process on the field, which makes it easier to understand and also
remember all the information.” Figure 1 shows the orange trees planted by Mr Narshingh
Lal after watching a Digital Green video.

©Digital Green
Figure 1. Mr Narshingh Lal, an orange farmer, proudly showing the orange trees he
planted after watching the video from Digital Green
Even in cases where field demonstrations are part of the extension system, restrictions
of resources and personnel mean that the demonstrations take place at wide intervals
with little or no interaction with farmers in between. The lack of a local facilitator or
resource person who can assist farmers in implementation often means that these
extension efforts do not result in actual adoption.
Digital Green has demonstrated that a participatory process of engagement combined
with simple technology solutions can enable small-scale farming communities to
produce and share information on best practices for improved productivity and
sustainable livelihoods. Initial pilot studies not only indicated a higher uptake of
practices through the video-based approach, but also revealed that the Digital Green
model was more cost-effective than classical systems of agricultural extension. Gandhi
et al. (2009) state that the Digital Green approach was at least ten times more efficient
and seven times more likely to encourage farmers to adopt new practices compared to
conventional agricultural extension systems.
 7
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

The Digital Green approach: Technology, partnerships and community

engagement
The Digital Green approach is essentially a technology-enabled means of behaviour
change communication, which is cost-effective, scalable and brings together researchers,
development practitioners and rural communities to produce and share locally relevant
information. Digital Green’s participatory, video-based learning approach aims to
engage the community to the greatest extent possible within the extension system. To
do so, Digital Green integrates its processes within existing private and public extension
systems to build the capacity of rural communities to produce and share short videos,
i.e. it serves as a digital exchange platform.
The hub-and-spoke model
Typically, Digital Green partners with government agencies, independent NGOs or
private sector agencies that help to identify progressive and enthusiastic members of the
community, who then serve as champions for the extension efforts. At the block level,
teams of three or four individuals are trained in video production skills using simple,
handheld cameras. The skills encompass the entire gamut of processes for creating
a video: from the development of a storyboard, to shooting the video with appropriate
lighting, ensuring that it is culturally and aesthetically appropriate, editing and
incorporating a soundtrack, and so forth. These video production units at the block
level act as a kind of hub for the production of content. This content, in the form of short
eight-to-ten minute videos, is then shown to small groups of farmers in different villages
across the block. At the village level too, selected community resource persons (CRPs)
are trained in facilitation skills. These CRPs are responsible for screening videos in three
or four villages within the block, and directly liaise with the community – answering their
questions, clarifying doubts and assisting farmers in the adoption of new practices. This
forms a hub-and-spoke model, wherein content is developed at the ‘hub’, or block, and
distributed across all the ‘spokes’, or individual villages.
Partnerships
Partnerships are critical to the success of the Digital Green approach; its partners
are carefully chosen, particularly for their strong integration and relationship with the
community. In Madhya Pradesh, for example, Digital Green’s partner, ACCESS,
has been working in Rajgarh District for over 15 years, bringing information about
better agricultural- and livelihood-generating practices to farmers. Similar strategic
partnerships enable Digital Green to work around the challenges and pitfalls of
working in unfamiliar contexts, while also amplifying the reach of its government, civil
society organizations and private partners through efficient dissemination methods.
Additionally, as Digital Green’s approach leverages community groups such as women’s
self-help groups or farmers’ groups, some of its partners, such as JEEViKA in the Indian
state of Bihar, are seeding new social groups and initiating livelihood programmes. In
8
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

sub-Saharan Africa countries as well, where community groups did not previously exist,
Digital Green’s implementing partners are experimenting with the formation of farmers’
groups and strengthening community bonds.
Local relevance of video content
The videos are produced in the regional language, ensuring easy comprehension
and immediate connection with the local community. They are then screened among
small groups of farmers on a regular basis using portable, battery-operated pico
projectors. About once every two weeks, the CRPs facilitate screenings to engage groups of
farmers with the videos and one another in an interactive learning process. During these
screenings, members of the community not only watch videos about new practices,
but are also encouraged to discuss and debate the featured practice, ask questions and
clarify doubts. The CRPs are key within this process, and facilitate the discussion by
asking different community members to share their opinions and experiences. They
clarify doubts, ask participants to recall what they saw in the video and even repeat
the screening, if required. The CRPs also record the main questions and points of
discussion at each screening, which are later shared with partners, uploaded as
comments on the Digital Green Web site and even used as feedback to inform further
iterations of the videos.
The content of the videos is generally chosen based on both top-down and bottom-
up decision-making. While government, civil society organizations or private partners
usually bring subject matter expertise, farmers are sounded on their specific
requirements regarding the practices they would like to learn about. The final content,
therefore, is tailored to be locally relevant, while still maintaining scientific accuracy.
In Rajgarh, for example, Santosh and other farmers from the community are regularly
asked to share their areas of interest, and as a result, most videos feature wheat and
soybean cultivation, as they are the most important cash crops of the area. However,
Santosh indicates, “Recently, when the price of onions was very high, we realized that
onion cultivation would also be profitable. Therefore, we (the farmers’ group) asked the
ACCESS team for a video about the best way to transplant onions, since that’s the tricky
part of the process. They responded quickly, and since then all of us have adopted this
new way of transplanting onions.”
Community participation and engagement
Community participation is essential to the success of the approach, since the
information being given to the farmer comes from a familiar source, leveraging the
principles of homophily, also described as the tendency of individuals to learn and
bond with that which they share mutually. This element of sameness, or deep similarity,
allows for better learning and engagement with the topic. In other words, the farmers are
better able to relate to the actors in the video (Figure 2) because they come from the
same community, and perhaps even the same village. This, along with the visual,
 9
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

demonstrative medium of video, is a powerful mode of communication. The ad-

ditional layer of facilitation by a trained community member, moreover, has been
proven to be even more effective than simply showingthe farmers the video, or having
the screenings facilitated by an external expert.

©Digital Green
Figure 2. A local video production team in the process of creating a video using local
actors
Mr Jitendra Singh Rajput, the programme director of ACCESS, feels that the deep
community engagement is one of the most successful aspects of this approach.
Elaborating on this, he says, “Previously, the extension workers in the programme would
get to interact with farmers only around once in two or three months. Now, they get to
attend screenings as often as once a week, and the facilitators are from the surrounding
area and are much more approachable. This has been a massive change, and has helped
build greater trust within the community, which in turn has helped raise the number of
adoptions.”
Mr Kushal Dange, the CRP for Biaorakala village, where Santosh Sharma lives,
prepares for the evening screenings by watching the video once or twice in advance. He
also makes sure that all the necessary materials are in place, including the paper form
to record the names of those who attended, the pico projector, the speakers, mats for
the viewers to sit on and so forth. During the screening itself, Mr Kushal pauses the
video at intervals and invites the group to reflect on what they’ve seen, ask questions,
voice their opinions and share their experiences. In his opinion, “Watching the video
more than once, or asking the farmers to discuss the video among themselves is very
useful. It helps them absorb and retain the information more effectively, and also helps
me (the facilitator) gauge the interest within the group.” Mr Kushal notes down the names
of those who seemed most interested, and over the course of the next week, he visits
10
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

them individually to check the practice adopted, verify that it has been implemented as
instructed and discuss the best way to take the adoption forward.
This degree of engagement with the community throughout the screening and adoption
process is an extremely important facet of Digital Green’s work. The fact that the CRPs
are from within the community means that villagers are able to reach out to them for
assistance even outside of the formal video screening sessions. This helps build greater
trust between the local partner and the community, as well as within the community
groups themselves, therefore not only increasing their willingness to adopt a new
practice, but also helping to create a stronger community support system for the farmers.

©Digital Green
Figure 3. A vibrant discussion amongst the community, following a video screening in
Ghana
These community groups are invaluable to the learning process because of the
lively discussion and sharing of experience that they enable (Figure 3). As Mr Jero
Gelgelu, a farmer from the Arsi Negelle Woreda (district) from Ethiopia says, “Before
the end of the video dissemination, there is an active and open discussion among group
members. Farmers are able to ask as many questions as they like. This discussion helps to
minimize any doubt farmers may have with regard to the new technology or farm-
ing practices. Through the video dissemination process, farmers learn new practices
from three sources: the videos, the development agents and the farmers themselves.”
Speaking more about the enhanced learning through group discussions, Mr Jero adds,
“The group environment of video disseminations increases peer to peer interaction
between farmers and promotes the exchange of experiences and best practices.”
 11
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Mr Teshale Amde, a development agent who works within the Ethiopian Ministry of
Agriculture’s agricultural extension programme, is a big supporter of the Digital Green
approach. Citing community participation as one of the main elements of success, he
says, “The discussions at the end of video screenings are one of the most important
parts of the process. Not only can farmers clarify their doubts easily, but the discussion
also helps to increase trust between them, and creates a spirit of healthy competition in
implementing practices. When a farmer hears about a neighbour implementing a
practice successfully and improving his livelihood, he thinks: if he can do it, why
can’t I?”
Achievements and possible impact
To date, Digital Green has produced nearly 3 000 videos in more than 20 languages,
and reached more than 300 000 farmers across more than 3 900 villages2 across India,
Ethiopia and Ghana. These videos have been collectively screened more than 200 000
times and have resulted in more than 370 000 adoptions.3
Strengthening local communities
The Digital Green approach is designed around building the capacity of local
communities in producing and sharing knowledge products, specifically short videos,
for improved livelihoods. As its geographic scope scales up, its training strategy has
evolved to include building the capacity of a cadre of master trainers (within the partner
staff as well as community level), with a special emphasis on enhancing the facilitation
skills of these trainers. In addition, by modularizing its own training sessions into short
videos, the organization plans to add a layer of accessibility to global partners interested
in leveraging the Digital Green approach.
Digital Green focuses on increasing the efficacy and cost-efficiency of agricultural
extension. The criteria for measuring the success of its approach are based on
factors such as the number of videos produced, the number of community members
engaged and the number of new practices adopted by farmers. The organization’s
technology stack helps to track these parameters accurately and efficiently. At the core
of the stack is Connect Online Connect Offline (COCO), a data management tool which is
specially designed for use in areas with little or no Internet connectivity. Partner staff at
the block or district levels is trained to use this software to upload information on a near
real-time basis. These data can be easily accessed by anyone from anywhere in the world
through an analytics dashboard, and are completely open-source, allowing partners and
supporters to view, analyse and use them.

2
Statistics as of April, 2014.
3
Please see Digital Green Analytics for more details (www.digitalgreen.org/analytics).
12
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Social empowerment
Apart from these tangible factors that can be tracked using numbers or percentages, it
is also worthwhile to note the other ‘social’ effects of the Digital Green approach on the
community. The most significant is the community’s sense of empowerment through
exposure to new skills and technologies. Most of the villages where Digital Green
functions have little or no access to electricity or even basic technology like television,
computers or mobile phones. Yet, the younger generation is interested in accessing
them and is enthusiastic about learning the new ‘modern’ skills, and becoming more
‘tech-savvy’. Digital Green allows them access and training in using technology such
as video cameras and projectors, as well as the software for editing the videos, and for
recording and uploading data to COCO.
Mr Ram Prasad, the young and enthusiastic block coordinator for the Khilchipur block
of Rajgarh District, is one of these young persons who feels empowered with his newly
acquired knowledge of videos, projectors and the Internet. He explains, “I had never even
held a camera before I started working with Digital Green, but now I don’t even have to
think about it. Now I can use computers and the Internet with ease.” Mr Kushal Dange
also feels that the training he has received, and the role he now plays, have contributed
to his social standing within the community. He explains, “Before I started working with
Digital Green, I was just another farmer. Now, everyone knows me as the video wallah
(the video man), and they come to me to ask about not just their crops, but even when
they have problems with their cell phones and other technology!” Women such as Ms
Pinky Devi have experienced a great improvement in their social status, and are now
even consulted by the men in the village about better agricultural practices (Figure 4).

©Digital Green

Figure 4. Improved social status – a group of empowered women farmers with Ms Pinky
Devi (centre)
 13
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Mr Bawa Kurubie, a community extension agent from the New Edubiase District of the
Ashanti Region of Ghana, also experiences this sense of empowerment. Describing how
the videos have helped him his work, Bawa says, “I initially doubted the Digital Green
approach and was worried it would only add to my workload. But now, I can say with
confidence that the videos have helped make my work simpler. For farmers here, seeing
is believing, so the videos are a powerful way of giving them information in a way that
it is truly useful for them. Now, I have to do less talking and explaining, and they have
made my work much easier.” For Mr Kurubie Bawa, the video production training has
even been useful at the personal level. He used his newly acquired videography skills to
create a short video of his birthday celebrations, which he then proudly showed to his
family and friends.
Lessons learned
Strong community groups are essential for the success of the approach
Digital Green first began working in villages where its partner organizations already had
established activities working with local community groups such as self-help groups,
women’s groups and farmers’ groups. As such, deploying the Digital Green approach in
these villages was a straightforward process. As it expands, however, the approach is
being taken to areas that are new to both Digital Green and its partners. This has meant
that Digital Green has had to reconsider the way in which the approach is operationalized
in new villages. To address this challenge, Digital Green has begun working with its
partners to share content related to mobilizing community groups and building
grassroots-level institutions in advance of agricultural messaging. In Ethiopia, for
example, existing social groups, such as farmer development groups, were not as strong
as those in India. Digital Green, therefore, supported and provided training in social
mobilization to its partners in Ethiopia to help strengthen them. In addition, it is also
exploring means of leveraging other existing community groups, such as student groups,
youth networks and womens’ groups, for its work.
Staying flexible is necessary to be relevant within new contexts
The Digital Green approach is now being extended in the health and nutrition sectors
through projects in India and Ethiopia. Initial results show that the approach is
malleable enough to be effective in the new domains as well, albeit with minor changes.
For instance, one area of discussion is the definition of adopting a health behaviour. In
the agriculture sector, adoptions are typically more tangible and visible. In the health
domain, however, behaviours are far less evident and can often be private in nature,
which can make them more difficult to track. The way in which adoptions are defined in
health, therefore, has been expanded to not only include actual changes in behaviour, but
also gains in knowledge.
14
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

New partnerships require handholding support

As Digital Green expands its network with new partners, it has found that different
partners have varying levels of competence in terms of their domain expertise, their
familiarity with technology, their ability to engage the community and their ability to
track progress and manage data, for example. Therefore, it is necessary for Digital Green
to provide a higher degree of support to new partners, especially in the initial phases of a
partnership. For instance, when Digital Green first began its work in Ethiopia, there was
far less traction for the approach until Digital Green invested in local human resources
that could provide the necessary technical and process-related support.
Learning, experimenting and iterating the approach for maximum impact
Another major learning curve, as Digital Green applies its approach to new sectors,
concerns the tracking of social impact. Videos focused on health and nutrition have
a wider target audience: instead of solely targeting those members of the community
who can adopt a practice, outreach extends to community members who can act as
promoters and influencers. An example of this can be seen in the case of Ms Malli
Lohar, a member of a women’s self-help group in Odisha. Ms Malli’s group is part of a
project that provides video-based nutrition-specific messaging to pregnant and lactating
mothers. While she is neither pregnant nor lactating herself, and hence not the primary
target of this messaging, she is an active and influential member of the community.
She has watched all ten videos produced within the project and is keen to take the
information to other women in her village. “I see that children in the village are not
so healthy and if I can help new mothers with useful information, then I feel it is my
duty to do so,” she says. Ms Malli is an excellent example of the kind of wider social
impact that is enabled through the Digital Green approach, and indeed this concept of
‘promoters’ is one that the organization also plans to track and study further as it works
more extensively in the health and nutrition domain.
Maintaining the quality of content at scale is a challenge
As Digital Green expands, the importance of ensuring high-quality content has come
to the forefront. In order to ensure that only rigorously vetted content – from both
audio-visual production and scientific standpoints – is shared with farmers, Digital Green
has found it necessary to bolster its Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised
of domestic and international researchers and practitioners, and is recruiting subject
matter specialists to review videos under the guidance of TAC members. These
specialists, who are experienced agricultural researchers or scientists, are responsible for
vetting both individual videos and bundles of agricultural best practices across the
variety of domains in which Digital Green operates.
 15
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Innovative solutions are required to maintain the quality of training

As Digital Green operations expand, it is becoming necessary to rethink the ways in which
mediators are trained in order to maintain high quality standards. In order to accomplish
this, Digital Green is working to create a cadre of master trainers who have been selected
from among high-performing mediators working with its existing partners. Once Digital
Green staff has ensured that the master trainers are capable of conducting high-quality
training without supervision, they take over new training by themselves. However,
quality assurance responsibilities with regard to dissemination quality and adoption
verification will continue to remain with Digital Green, as will quality oversight for the
mediator training process.
Digital Green is also in the process of creating a learning platform for mediators that
will be available globally. The platform will build upon and improve the quality of
Digital Green’s existing training curriculum, incorporating both technical skills on
specific subject areas as well as process-related skills such as video production,
dissemination facilitation and data tracking. The learning platform will combine both
on- and offline components, in which master trainers who work within Digital
Green partner organizations might facilitate the presentation of videos through the
learning platform to groups of mediators. Usage data and feedback from trainees can be
leveraged to improve the quality of future training programmes. In essence, the learning
platform will function as a hybrid Massive Online Open Course for mediators affiliated
with Digital Green partners that combines technical elements with in-person facilitation
and assessment.
Conclusion
Digital Green is currently in a phase of rapid growth and has expanded its approach to
new sectors and geographic zones. The simplicity and flexibility of this video-based
approach has allowed for its effective application in multiple and different social,
economic and cultural contexts.
In India, Digital Green’s network extends to eight states 4 along with government and
social sector partners. The organization has recently signed an agreement with the
Government of India’s flagship National Rural Livelihoods Mission to act as its
national-level support organization to help empower rural communities across the
country through increased access to information. In Ethiopia, Digital Green works
with the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen its extension system as well as those of
other NGO partners. In Ghana, it partners with the World Cocoa Foundation and other
commodity trading groups such as the Ghana Cocoa Board.

4
The eight states are: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Odisha and Uttar Pradesh (as of April 2014).
16
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Digital Green has plans to expand its reach across 11 000 villages in India and
involve more than a million farming households by 2015, building the capacity of local
individuals to serve as community knowledge workers. The organization is gradually
working toward leveraging its global network of partners and supporters to create an
e-learning and knowledge-sharing hub for rural development, taking the concept of
learning to the virtual world.
Recommended reading
Gandhi, R., Veeraraghavan, R., Toyama, K. & Ramprasad, V. 2009. Digital Green:
participatory video for agricultural extension. information technologies for
international development. MIT Press. Available at, http://itidjournal.org/itid/
article/view/322/145
Glendenning, C., Babu, S. & Asenso-Okyere, K. 2010. Review of agricultural extension
in India: are farmers’ information needs being met? IFPRI. Available at, http://
www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ifpridp01048.pdf
Rogers, E.M. 1983. Diffusion of innovations. New York, Free Press.

©FAO/Ishara Kodikara
 17
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 2:
e-Krishok: Making ICT work for
farmers A 360-degree ICT- enabled
solution to empower farmers
Md. Shahid Uddin Akbar 5

Context setting and readiness

Agriculture is one of the major contributors to the Bangladeshi economy. Approximately
45 percent (Katalyst 2012)6 of the labour force is involved in the agriculture sector and
the GDP contribution of this sector is 17.5 percent (CIA Factbook 2014)7. Studies have
shown that significant proportions of this labour force are yet to take advantage of the
information revolution. While people are enjoying the opportunities brought about by ICT
in the era of globalization, farmers in Bangladesh are still employing traditional methods.
For most of the farmers and many agricultural field agents, developing business models
for agriculture remains a challenge.
In general, during the agricultural seasons approximately 83 percent of the farmers
seek information on disease prevention, 57 percent on market price and 29 percent tries
to get advice on improving the quality of land (Katalyst 2012). Business planning and
commercial approaches among farmers and agro-entrepreneurs in rural areas are still
largely absent. Thus there is an urgent need for information to assist in raising the
income levels of farmer and microbusinesses. However, offering information and
advisory services according to demand is not an easy process. Meeting the information
demand requires a strong platform (ICT and institutional) and from that perspective
fortunately Bangladesh has improved radically. Since the last decade Bangladesh has
been experiencing revolutionary growth in the telecommunication sector. Ninety-seven
percent of Bangladesh is now covered by mobile phone networks with Internet
connections. This increasing mobile penetration has created a strong platform to
develop mechanisms for providing information and communication services to actors in
the agriculture sector (GSM Association 2012)8.
5
Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development (BIID), Bangladesh. Contact [email protected]
6
Making ICT work for Bangladesh’s farmers, The Katalyst Cases Number 6, November 2012
7
CIA Factbook 2014 available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/
bg.html
8
What is the impact of mobile telephony on economic growth?, A Report for the GSM Association,
November 2012
18
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Main philosophy/strategy of the approach

Keeping this backdrop in mind, Bangladesh Institute for ICT in Development (BIID) has
taken the initiative to use the existing ICT network for developing and delivering services
to create access to information for different actors of the agriculture sector. BIID has
been engaged in developing ICT-enabled products and services to support private and
public (government and NGO) initiatives that target the ‘Base of the Pyramid’ segment in
particular. BIID envisions a vast range of opportunities in the ICT4D sector in Bangladesh
and other developing countries; using its existing capacity, expertise and knowledge,
BIID wants to focus on the agriculture sector, providing different services and offering
360-degree solutions covering preproduction, production and postproduction phases,
i.e. from extension to market linkage.
The service basket of e-Krishok covers a wide range of service propositions including the
information portal www.ekrishok.com which is basically an online information repository.
Various contents in the form of factsheet and query solutions are available in the portal.
Any user can directly communicate for any information and a back-end service desk
provides the solution within a very short period. To make the e-Krishok service more
popular and easily reachable for farmers, BIID introduced the short code-based Help
Line 16250. Another major objective in this context is to make the service commercially
viable in the long term. At the moment the service is only available to Grameen Phone
customers and farmers can enjoy call back and SMS-based advisory services.
The Web site www.extension.org.bd has been launched to facilitate a platform for
knowledge sharing among stakeholders in extension services. Based in Sher-e-Bangla
Agriculture University, this platform shares updated information on extension services
and technology. BIID and the Department of Agricultural Extension are also working to
develop an e-Learning model to facilitate knowledge transfer among field-level extension
officers.
‘Batighar’, or lighthouse in English, is a physical access point, popularly known as a
telecentre, to ensure that farmers and other target groups can avail services as well as
communicate through a human interface. Various e-Krishok services are profiled and
available in the centre and BIID conducts various promotional activities keeping the
centre in focus.
The Market Linkage Program (MLP) is the most complex service proposition BIID
has addressed to date. Jointly with Grameen Phone, ACI and Katalyst, BIID is piloting
an online market place for farmers and traders, where buyers and sellers can directly
communicate, negotiate, trade and transact. BIID as the aggregator of the platform,
ensures proper operation of the value chain.
Business planning is the most essential component for transforming agriculture as
a commercial activity for the farmer who has never considered farming as business
 19
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

in Bangladesh. BIID in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) introduced

Farmbook to offer an ICT-enabled solution to assess profitability and frame a business
plan. By using Farmbook, farmers can predict possible return on investment as well as
understand the cost structure which can help them to make proper business decisions.

Jointly with Green Delta Insurance Company, BIID is working to develop an insurance
product to cover the loss of any damage to crops. Index-based insurance will be
introduced in selected locations with selected crops.

BIID is offering various value-added services to members of e-Krishok (who enlisted
through different activities and registered for services) like training and awareness
building on new technology and solutions. Simultaneously, BIID is engaging Sub-
Assistant Agriculture Officers (SAAOs) to facilitate various ICT-enabled services.
Mobile payment service has become very popular in Bangladesh and BIID has
introduced optional payment facilities for farmers for all kinds of payment transfer.
Also BIID is working with different organizations to develop quality control manuals for
the online trading platform and has developed a network of traders to ensure smooth
operation of the MLP.

©Rajesh Narayanan/Shutterstock.com
20
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©BIID

Figure 5. The e-Krishok service

 21
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Key elements/methodology adopted

e-Krishok: A 360-degree solution of BIID includes extension to market linkage
information to online trading
In BIID’s service basket, e-Krishok is the flagship initiative
consisting of different service components such as the
information repository (www.ekrishok.com) including fact
sheets, short code 16250, Info Centre (Batighor), www.
extension.org (the knowledge-sharing platform) as well as
the MLP and Crop Insurance. e-Krishok is the concept of

©BIID
integrating ICT as a 360-degree solution from preproduction
to postproduction levels. Indicators that exemplify the model’s
excellence are: farmers’ accessibility to make informed
decisions; business management skills; knowledge to assess Figure 6. e-Krishok logo
profitability and performance; availability of information and
support services from diverse sources; and building of networks of all sources, links
and individuals that are useful to provide support services regarding farming. In terms
of concrete performance, there are approximately 140 000 e-Krishok members and
more than 350 service centres from which information is disseminated. The strategies
that have been adopted for scaling up of the programme are: creating awareness of the
positive usage of ICT in agriculture through BIID’s service centres; publicizing different
forms of dissemination of the information related to e-agriculture and BIID’s initiatives
(in this case through public events); and organizing national events and workshops to
disseminate BIID’s initiatives.

Most smallholder farmers do not keep records. Most field agents have not received
any formal education in business management and therefore rarely help farmers to plan
their enterprises. Their focus, therefore, remains mainly on productivity enhancement.
However, for development processes and upgrading strategies to work successfully
in a business environment, more attention needs to be given to monitoring the
profits that farmers gain from using
technologies and linking to markets.
Recently, BIID partnered with Catholic
Relief Services to implement Farmbook
in Bangladesh. Farmbook is a tool
that provides farmers with access
to a business planning process that
is focused on their products and
market opportunity. For farmers,
©Noah Seelam

it provides customized business

solutions, rather than general market
information.
22
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©BIID
Figure 7. Farmbook’s administration panel

Farmbook is an innovative ICT solution for business skill development (planning,
profitability assessment and marketing) and is designed to enable extension agents to
help farmers to plan their farm businesses more effectively and quickly evaluate their
productivity and profitability. Farmbook also includes a set of learning modules on five
skill sets (Group Organization, Natural Resource Management, Financial Education,
Marketing and Innovation).

©BIID

Figure 8. Farmbook validation report

BIID and CRS have contextualized Farmbook for the different actors in the agriculture
sector of Bangladesh and also branded with e-Krishok.
Demonstration is still the best way to convince the farmers, especially when
introducing ICT tools and the partnerships with local actors including SAAO’s are
crucial for ownership and trust
 23
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Achievements and possible impacts

Making ICT work for farmers - ICT = enabled solutions help farmers make proper
business decisions and improve livelihoods

People of Charjamalpur village

have never seen such huge
production of tomato from 10
decimals of land (approximately
4 300 square feet). The farmer
behind this successful production is
Mohammad Abdul Awal a member of
e-Krishok. When BIID established
Batighar centre in Baira Union,
District of Manikgang, around 35
km from the city and informed
©BIID

local people that BIID would help

Figure 9. Mr Md. Awal and his tomato farm farmers to scale up their income
levels via computer and mobile
phone use, people were puzzled about these new terms. It was very difficult for them to
understand the computer which seemed like an ambiguous box; and the mobile phone’s
purpose appeared to be for chatting only. How these devices could have any useful
application to enhancing a farmer’s life perplexed them.
Mr Awal cannot remember when he started working the land. His parents and
grandparents, and maybe even ancestors, were farmers. Therefore, the profession of
farmer has been passed down to him since antiquity. When he was just a young boy
of seven or eight, Awal’s father started to make him his assistant in different steps of
farming. Therefore Awal grew up as an experienced and knowledgeable farmer, having
inherited both land and traditional cultivation skills from generations of family members.
Whilst such experience and historical knowledge provides him with a firm foundation
for cultivation, much of it is extraneous to the modern information society; this results
in knowledge stagnation and missing prospects for earning additional income and
mitigating threats. According to Awal, he occasionally receives public services from
government extension agents during the cultivation season. Mostly he depends on
fellow farmers and input sellers for information about agriculture. In general, the local
farmers still trust the SAAO as the first point of contact.
Awal learned about BIID services through the Batighar centre situated in Baira bazaar.
Md. Taslim, the local manager, registered him as an e-Krishok member. Since
registration Awal’s farming has been completely guided by BIID. BIID experts suggested
a new variety of tomato called ‘Bigol’ which would grow well according to land, weather
and market characteristics in his area. Research shows that at this level most farmers
 24
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

lose significant proportions of profit as they select low-quality seeds because the crop
selection decision is mainly influenced by fellow farmers and input suppliers. However
expert advice, Web-based content and factsheets helped Awal to choose the best crop
production methods. Communication was carried out by phone and through the Batighar
telecentre.
After crop selection, Awal was assisted by the BIID team in developing a business plan
using the business canvas tool and Farmbook. They sketched out every detailed plan of
action from preproduction to postproduction levels. Awal compared his profitability with
the previous year’s production of eggplant (Brinjal) which suggested better financial
return from the new crop. In general, most of the local farmers do not have a business
approach to farming and do not develop a proper plan of action before starting
cultivation in terms of quantifying their profit. At this phase, for the first time Awal
considered cultivating tomato from the business perspective. Based on his business
plan, he scheduled crop production activities. He followed the suggested activities and
availed 16250 services which helped him to complete all the tasks within the right time.
Whenever he faced any problem he asked for solutions at the Batighar centre; often he
directly called the BIID helpdesk.
Over the cropping season,
Awal recorded all the financial
information with the Farmbook
portal through the BIID extension
agent. By the end of the season,
he usually achieved almost 50
percent increase in production
compared to usual tomato
cultivation (1 000 to 1 200 kg
on 10 decimals of land). This
time Awal produced 1 600 kg of
tomato from 10 decimals of
land. At this production level his
©BIID

profits increased notably. Awal

Figure 10. Farmer consulting with the BIID team said “availing e-Krishok service
and cultivating tomato gave me
a kind of confidence and encouragement to use my phone and contact BIID for the next
cultivation. Now I am not alone when I work in the field. When I carry my mobile phone
I feel I am with the full solution package.”
ICT has the magical power to change the colour of life
Like Md. Awal, Md. Sadir Uddin Pradhan is another beneficiary of our services. He is
from Mirzanagar village which is located 12 km from Kapashia upazilla (subdistrict)
in Gazipur District. Agriculture is the primary means of livelihood in this village. Over
 25
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

the past decades, diversification of crops and practices has occurred in this village.
However, farmers still do not have adequate knowledge of modern farming technologies.
Erratic climatic conditions have resulted in changes in crop patterns as well as in pest
and disease epidemics. But there is still no provision of timely and appropriate
information or advisory services in the village although such facilities could save the
farmers from incurring losses.

©BIID
Figure 11. Mr Md. Sadir Udding Pradhan in his lychee orchard
Sadir Uddin Pradhan lives with his wife and three children. He has a lychee orchard with
19 lychee trees on 14 decimals of land. He learned about growing lychee from his fellow
farmers and input suppliers and with the knowledge he has gathered, he makes a profit
of around 8 to 10 000 taka each year (US$1.00 = 77 taka) from selling his fruits in
advance to the wholesaler. But he has limited knowledge on the proper methods of
taking care of his groves and whenever he faces any problems, he takes advice from
his input supplier. Once, his fruits were dropping before reaching maturity and he did
not know what to do about it. One of his neighbours suggested a visit to the community
information centre at Aralbazar. He followed up described his problem. The query was
sent to an agriculturist in Dhaka who then provided him with the solution. He was
advised to apply the pesticide Ripcord in a solution of 100 litres of water and spray it on
the trees. This finally saved his fruit and he earned 20 000 taka during that season.
Future strategies for improvement of this business model
BIID has developed an inclusive business model for e-Krishok targeting the Bottom
of the Pyramid segment of the market. This ICT-enabled platform will be scaled up
nationwide and reach 3 million farmers within 2016. To achieve targets and develop a
sustainable business model BIID framed the following strategies:
a. Multistakeholder partnership with various relevant organizations to bring
institutional expertise;
b. Initiate cooperative models at the field level and establish locally-owned
subsidiaries for offering value-added services;
c. Introduce institutional learning programmes for farmers, value chain actors
and extension officers;
26
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

d. Brand and position e-Krishok as the leading ICT4D solution for developing
countries; and
e. Mobilize resources to ensure proper implementation of the activities.
Conclusion
When BIID launched the e-Krishok service in Baira bazaar as well as in different parts
of the country, farmers did not properly understand the benefits of registering as
members. They were a little skeptical about BIID activities as they were ignorant about
ICT technology. But the success of Md. Awal boosted their interest. Now, other farmers
have started to understand the power of modern ICT technology. They also understand
that proper information at the right time can save them from potential losses, increase
their productivity and profit. Farmers, as well extension agents, are beginning to realize
that through proper planning and a smart approach, traditional farming can be turned
into successful business enterprises. Nonetheless, in developing countries like
Bangladesh, where traditional farming methods are the norm, continuous efforts are
required to motivate farmers to adopt ICT and develop into business entities.
Recommended reading
South Asia: Bangladesh. Available at, <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/
the-world-factbook/geos/bg.html>.
Making ICT work for Bangladesh’s farmers. Available at, <http://www.springfield-
centre.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Case-Study-Number-6_3rd-
version-3-12-2012.pdf>.
The Global Information Technology Report. 2012. World Economic Forum, 2012.
Available at, <http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Global_IT_Report_2012.pdf>.
 27
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 3:
Adapting consumer technology
to combat illegal fishing in
Timor-Leste
Steven James Needham9

Introduction: The problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

Timor-Leste is a relatively new nation which faces many social and economic challenges.
Its fledgling government institutions must ensure that the growing population has
sufficient food and nutrition while also seeking to generate sustainable economic growth.
The marine resources of Timor-Leste have an important role to play in this regard.
Similar to many developing countries, Timor-Leste suffers the negative consequences of
illegal fishing activity. With limited resources, Timor-Leste’s state institutions face huge
challenges in managing the country’s waters. The lack of law enforcement capacity off
the rich southern coast is well known by the foreign fishing vessels that illegally operate
there on a regular basis.
©FAO/Steven James Needham

Figure 12. A type of fishing craft commonly used around Timor-Leste

9
Regional Fisheries Livelihood Programme for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP).
Contact: http://www.fao.org/fishery/rflp
 28
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

To address this challenge, The National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NDFA)
working in partnership with the FAO-Spain Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme
for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP) has introduced technology in the form of low-cost
personal locator beacons (PLBs) as part of a community-based IUU fishing reporting
system.

This innovative and award-winning

initiative has played a number of
important roles: building knowledge
on the level of illegal fishing so that
effective management strategies can
©FAO/Steven James Needham

be developed; enhancing fisher safety;

and boosting relations between
government staff and small-scale
fishers. Just as importantly, the
technology is also low cost and easy
to use.
Figure 13. A fisher with a PLB

The Timor-Leste fisheries sector

Timor-Leste has 706 km of coastline and a marine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), over
which it has fishing rights of approximately 75 000 km2. According to the Government
of Timor-Leste’s Strategic Development Plan (2010-2030) this fishing area has the
potential to provide valuable animal protein to feed the population as well as to provide
employment, income-earning opportunities and foreign exchange from fish exports.
The main fishing grounds, which are along the northern and southern coasts, offer
considerable potential. However weaknesses in policy and limited capacity to manage,
monitor and protect its fisheries resources have resulted in the sector remaining
undeveloped with most fishing traditionally done from small boats close to shore.
Illegal fishing by foreign fleets, particularly off the south coast and in the area of the
Sahul Banks, also threatens to deplete fish stocks.
Malnutrition is another major challenge facing the country. The 2010 Demographic and
Health Survey highlighted the risks that current and future populations may face in their
physical development and overall health status with special emphasis on women and
children.
It is well known that fish is an important source of animal protein containing important
micronutrients, fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamins, which are vital for a
balanced diet. However according to the first-ever protein consumption survey in
 29
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

the county carried out by the RFLP the mean per-capita level of fish consumption in
Timor-Leste (6.1 kg/cap/year) was significantly lower than the world value (16.4 kg/cap/
year). Only in the coastal areas of Timor-Leste did fish consumption (17.6 kg/cap/year)
approximate the Asian fish consumption level (17.8 kg/cap/year).
For these reasons, better management of Timor-Leste’s fish stocks and maximizing their
potential for the nation’s benefit takes on added importance.
Implementing a community-based IUU reporting system
Using technology to track the movements of fishing boats is not new. Vessel monitoring
systems (VMS) are commonly installed on larger commercial boats that allow
governments to monitor and control the movement of vessels which have purchased
licences or quotas to fish in a specific area.
However, with boats from a number of neighbouring countries fishing illegally in
Timor-Leste’s waters such systems would be of little practical use.
The community-based IUU reporting system piloted by the NDFA in Timor-Leste took a
different approach. Although based on the use of technology, the true foundation for the
initiative was the creation of trust between small-scale fishers and the state, where the
fishers were not the target of control, but those controlling their resources.
“When it comes to illegal fishing or safety at sea Timor-Leste suffers from a lack of
data. There is anecdotal and incidental data but nothing hard. As a result, there just isn’t
enough information upon which to develop management strategies,” explained RFLP’s
Crispen Wilson.
“The main factors behind using the personal locator beacons were increasing safety
at sea, gathering IUU data and building relationships with fishers. Development
organizations often do a ‘stop and drop’ when they never follow up or determine what
is being done. What we wanted was to foster a real relationship between the National
Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture and fishers.”
How the system works
The community-based IUU reporting system is based on a partnership whereby the
government loans PLBs to small-scale fishers. These devices are widely available in the
consumer electronics market and are commonly used by outdoor enthusiasts. PLBs
are hand-held GPS tracking devices that automatically transmit their position every 15
minutes in near real time via satellite. The devices have two buttons: one (911) that is
used in the event of a life-threatening or other critical emergency to notify the emergency
services. The second button (ILLEGAL) has been reconfigured as a means for fishers to
anonymously report illegal fishing activities.
 30
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

With these devices, fishers now have

a means to call for help if they get into
trouble at sea and in exchange for their
enhanced safety, they have agreed
©FAO/Steven James Needham

to use the devices to report illegal

fishing activity in their area to the
relevant state authorities in near real
time.
When the 911 button is pressed
the device sends an emergency
Figure 14. One button to report IUU, one for distress signal giving the boat’s
emergencies location through the same network
as the emergency position indicating
radio beacon (EPIRB) emergency system used by larger boats. The international
monitoring centre then sends an SMS message to the cellular phones of the head of the
Maritime Police and the head of the Fisheries Inspection Department. At the same time
the civil aviation authority is notified that a boat is in distress at a specific location and
the national authorities are notified by telephone.
When the ILLEGAL button is pressed the system immediately alerts the head of the
Maritime Police and the head of the Fisheries Inspection Department that a fisher has
observed illegal fishing. The system transmits the time, date and position of the IUU
activity. It also ensures the anonymous involvement of fishers, while staff of the NDFA
can view all this information on a map through a password-protected Web site. The
Timorese authorities can then decide how to respond in a coordinated way.
©FAO/Steven James Needham

Figure 15. Data from the PLBs can be tracked online

 31
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Delivering the devices, training the fishers

Several steps were taken to establish the system. A pilot phase was developed from
February to July 2012 during which two boats operating in the southern waters of Timor-
Leste were each loaned these devices. The concept was then presented to relevant state
institutions and partner NGOs working in fisheries-related matters as a real working
model.
Once the first results were available,
questions such as “If a fisher pushes the

©FAO/Steven James Needham

911 button indicating that they are in serious
danger, what happens?” and “If a fisher
pushes the button to report illegal fishing,
what should happen?” were raised. Relevant
institutions were summoned to discuss these
issues and to decide and agree appropriate
response measures, communication lines
and operation and coordination mechanisms. Figure 16. Fishers learn to use the
In August 2012, after the system had proved devices
to be feasible and shown its potential, it was
scaled up. An additional 14 devices were loaned to fishers located in several fishing
centres throughout Timor-Leste.
Village leaders were involved in the selection of the participants from each area and all
parties agreed to sign a contract describing their respective roles and responsibilities
within the project. These fishers were trained on the use of the devices and provided with
instructions in the local Tetum language.
Operation of the system was explained, as were the benefits it could bring, and the
current constraints faced by state authorities regarding emergency response. The
potential consequences of inappropriate use of the devices were also discussed and
stressed.
Within the NDFA, the Department of General Fisheries Inspection was assigned
responsibility to record emergency and IUU reports and the regular updating of
databases with information on fishing patterns, areas and illegal fishing hot spots.
Budgetary issues
The fact that the PLBs used in this pilot phase were readily available resulted in
equipment cost being kept low. For the pilot phase the purchase and operation of
14 units and their operation for a year cost a total of US$2 400. During this phase
considerable efforts were made to train government staff and fishers in their use.
Transport and training costs to develop the capacity of government staff and to train
32
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

fishers in districts around the country came to approximately US$10 000.

Factors for success
A number of factors contributed to the success of the pilot scheme. Key amongst these
is undoubtedly the fact that the use of PLBs offers clear and tangible benefits to both the
fishers who use them as well as the government.
The waters around Timor-Leste are hazardous. Fast-moving currents swirl past the
Timorese coast, quickly sweeping away boats with engine problems. Previously there
was no effective way for vessels in distress to summon assistance. For fishers, having
a device with which they can call for help in emergency is a major incentive to use the
PLBs and to cooperate with the government to help report IUU fishing.
In addition to making distress calls, fishers and their families now know that if a boat is
overdue, the authorities can check to see exactly where it is. For example, if a boat crew
is arrested for illegal fishing in a neighbouring country’s waters the location of the boat
can be seen and families informed whereas previously families remained unaware (often
for years) whether the fishers were alive or dead.
For the government the devices help to generate detailed information on IUU in
Timor-Leste’s waters at an affordable cost. For a developing country like Timor-Leste
this is a major factor.
The devices are widely available and are inexpensive (they can cost as little as US$100
each plus an annual service fee of approximately US$150 per year). Furthermore their
activation, maintenance and use do not need special skills. They can be purchased on
the Internet directly from suppliers who provide the service and provide assistance to
activate the units. The worldwide satellite coverage allows their use in the most remote
places, and presents a good opportunity for co-managed control of IUU fishing in
developing countries.
Constraints and limitations
A limitation of this type of equipment is that it can only provide a basic record that
suspected illegal fishing has been reported. Extra details about the type of vessel,
direction it was heading, gear it was using and so forth would have to be provided at
a later date when the fisher who made the report could be contacted. In addition, the
equipment cannot in itself bring about a reduction in IUU fishing. Timor-Leste lacks the
patrolling capacity to act upon reports of illegal vessels. However the act of gathering
data where none previously existed is a vital step in helping to understand the scale and
scope of the problem so that effective management plans can subsequently be drawn up.
A further lesson learned during the early phase of the pilot was that for IUU reporting to
 33
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

succeed, units need to be given to the right boats operating in areas where they are likely
to encounter IUU.
“During the design phase of our IUU pilot, fishers in Atauro said they went to the south
where IUU fishing was most common,” explained Crispen Wilson.
“They were given personal locator beacons and we waited for two months for them to
go south. But they never went and they really just wanted to be given something. So
we took the units back. They were a little surprised as no one had done this before. The
NDFA staff was great and explained the situation logically. It was doing them no good
and if the NDFA gave the units to fishers who were going south then we could stop IUU
there. They gave the units back and they were redistributed to commercial boats which
were travelling to the south.”
Despite the simple ‘two-button’ nature of the devices mistakes were also made. In one
instance a vessel captain pushed the wrong button when he intended to report illegal
fishing and instead called for emergency help. When the vessel could not be contacted
(the radio had been switched off) an Australian Coastguard aircraft flew over the area
to check on the vessel, which was found to be in no distress. The event made the
relevant institutions (Navy, Maritime Police, Port Authority and NDFA) discuss and agree
appropriate lines of communication and more effective operational practices in cases
of emergency. An agreement was reached at a technical level on more effective
communication lines and the most appropriate ways of coordination in emergency cases.
Initial results of the experience in Timor-Leste
The following are examples of tangible outcomes from the initiative:
• The first database on illegal reports and IUU fishing hot spots created;
• The first maps with information on illegal fishing activity hot spots drafted and
regularly updated;
• The first database created with information of the fishing patterns of local fishers
and the most heavily exploited fishing areas; and
• Improved communications and trust between fishers and state institutions.
A new channel of communication has been opened; communications and
coordination among the relevant state institutions have been notably improved
and also at the political level as a direct consequence of the new challenges
posed by the introduction of the system to the institutions involved in maritime
affairs. As a direct response to these challenges and based on the experience
gained during the pilot phase, an agreement was reached on 19 April 2012
between representatives of the F-FDTL (Timor-Leste army), the Port Authority,
the Maritime Police, the NDFA-Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and other
ministries involved to create a National Maritime Authority that will deal with
issues of illegal fishing and rescues at sea in-country.
 34
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Potential upscaling and replication

Following the early successes of the use of the system in Timor-Leste plans are now
underway to scale up the pilot to become a national vessel monitoring system.
The system is not necessarily tied to a specific brand or piece of equipment, but is
more about the relationships and the motivations of the different stakeholders. As a
consequence, the community-based IUU reporting system could easily be replicated
over a wide range of fisheries.
The system is ideal for many developing
countries where there are very few patrol boats
or extremely limited human resources to patrol
remote sea areas. This system could also be
used to facilitate management of marine
protected areas, marine reserves or remote
areas with limited access. For example, in
marine reserves where much of the illegal
fishing activity is conducted by fishers based
outside the protected area, the ability to report
©FAO/Steven James Needham

in near real time provides a means by which

those living in the area can help to enforce
management plans.
International recognition
In February 2014, Timor-Leste’s Community-
Figure 17. Fisheries inspectors Based IUU Reporting System was selected as
equipped with PLBs aboard a the winning entry from a global field in the 2014
commercial fishing vessel STOP IUU FISHING AWARDS.
Officially announced at the 4th Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop held in
San Jose, Costa Rica, Michele Kuruc, Acting Senior Vice-President of Marine Conserva-
tion of the World Wildlife Fund and Cephas Ralph, Chairman of the International MCS
Network presented the award to Pedro Rodriguez, Fisheries Inspector and former RFLP
National Project Manager, on behalf of Timor-Leste.
Speaking at the event Kuruc stated: “One of the objectives of the contest is to showcase
the winning entries as an example and inspiration to other countries and organizations
to combat IUU fishing. This successful project carried out by Timor-Leste shows that
there are low cost solutions which can support both the long- term interests of
fishermen in combating IUU activities which undermine sustainable harvests of marine
living resources and improve safety out on the water in an environment which can
sometimes be deadly.”
 35
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

What are the benefits?

The key beneficiaries of this approach are fishers, natural resource managers and state
institutions.
The benefits to fishers:
• If they are in danger, the fisher now has a way to call for help;
• If a boat is overdue, families can contact the authorities and check where a fisher
is and if he is OK;
• Fishers can anonymously report IUU without being threatened by foreign
vessels which may have weapons on board;
• Reporting IUU becomes safer as there is no need to make any open transmis-
sion over the radio that illegal fishers may hear;
• Hand-held units can be circulated between boats so that illegal fishers do not
know who has one;
• Helping to patrol and prevent IUU fishing means more fish for Timor-Leste
fishers;
• If a fisher is arrested in waters of a neighbouring country, the fisher and the boat
can be located and evidence will be available on where they were fishing; and
• If a boat capsizes, its last position and time are recorded; search and rescue
(SAR) services are more likely to be able to locate any missing fishers and their
boat.
The benefits to natural resource managers:
• Engaging local fishers to help combat illegal fishing provides detailed
information on where the fishers are going and what they are catching;
• Provides solid data upon which policies or management strategies can be used
to address IUU;
• Starts to build trust and respect relationships with fishers, so when
management plans are discussed, agreed and implemented, the existing
relationship fosters and encourages fishers to participate; and
• PLBs can be issued to fisheries observers working on commercial fishing
vessels, allowing cross-checking against written log-books.
The benefits to the government:
• A very affordable option. Larger commercial VMS systems can cost upwards of
US$3 000;
• Saves time, fuel, money, boats. Increases surveillance at very little cost;
• Increased likelihood that IUU offenders will be caught, making patrolling more
cost-effective;
• Relationships and trust are built so that when fisheries management plans are
implemented there is greater buy-in by fishers; and
• Significantly facilitates SAR operations by pinpointing a starting location for
SAR from which a vessel and fisher may have drifted.
 36
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

About the RFLP

The RFLP set out to strengthen capacity among
participating small-scale fishing communities
and their supporting institutions in Cambodia,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-
Leste and Viet Nam. By doing so RFLP sought
to improve the livelihoods of fishers and their
families while fostering more sustainable
©FAO/Steven James Needham

fisheries resources management practices.

The four-year (2009-201313) RFLP was funded
by the Kingdom of Spain and implemented
by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) working in close
collaboration with national authorities in
participating countries.
Figure 18. A local fisher brings home
his catch

©Aditya Nugraha
 37
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 4:
Mobile GAP Assessment System:
New technology for family farms
involved in quality assurance
schemes
Pisuth Paiboonrat 10

Introduction
Agriculture plays an important role in Thailand’s economy. In 2013, agriculture, forestry
and fishing contributed 12.0 percent of GDP. Labor forces work in agriculture sectors is
47 percent of total employment. (Agriculture & Rural Development, 2013)11.
Although Thailand is a major rice producer and exporter, the country faces many
problems similar to other rice-growing countries in the Asian region. These include an
ageing farming society, with the average age of a farmers being 67 years, lack of skilled
farm labour and higher cost of production. All these factors drive the farmers out of their
farms to find a job in the city, hoping for a better quality of life. In order to make the
agriculture sector more profitable and attractive for the younger generation as well
to attract new agri-entrepreneurs, it is necessary to create a paradigm shift in farm
investment concepts. A multitechnological approach for more efficient farm
management is needed; the development of such a system would also take into account
the importance of data collection, data analysis and time series management. Such
integration would facilitate the ease and efficiency of farm management. This case study
outlines one such effort to make farm management more efficient.
Increasing awareness about food safety raises consumers’ demand for the quality and
safety of food produce. In response, the Government of Thailand has made significant
steps towards the development, introduction and implementation of quality and
safety programmes. At the farm level, a quality assurance system has been introduced to
farmers in order to ensure safer food production. The Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)
system as part of the country's food safety strategy was first introduced in 2003. The
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives established a national GAP system for crops,
10
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Thailand. Contact paiboonrat@
nectec.or.th
11
World Bank, 2015, http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/thailand
38
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

livestock and fisheries and is responsible for control and inspection. The National
Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) is an accreditation body,
while the Department of Agriculture provides certification and implementation functions
(see http://www.acfs.go.th/). The objectives of the GAP programme are to ensure that
food crops are safe, wholesome and meet high standards while ensuring the safety of
growers and minimizing adverse impacts on the environment. Farmers who apply for
GAP certification are assessed for their production processes. The assessment contains
eight element standards; i) safety of water used, ii) site safety and sanitation, iii) use of
agrochemicals, iv) product storage, v) data records, vi) pest-free products, vii) quality
management and viii) harvesting and postharvesting handling. Farmers who fulfill the
requirements of the national GAP programme can label their products with the GAP logo
(Figure 19).

©NECTEC

Figure 19. The ‘Q’ mark on an agricultural product certified by the Department of
Agriculture
The GAP system for rice started in 2006. It is a government policy to raise the standard
of rice production through certification that conforms to international standards. This
procedure tries to address the food safety concerns of consumers. However, due to the
stringent requirements and documentation involved in applying for GAP certification,
this system has met with limited success. These factors also create a burden for farmers
and certification officers. Moreover, farmers involved in the GAP process are not getting
GAP certification on time because of the excessive paperwork to be completed.
Concomitantly public concerns about food quality, safety and source of origin from
buyers are increasing and addressing this issue is becoming a marketing strategy
component.
This case study describes a new technology designed to overcome the problems
associated with the previous paper-based GAP certification – the Mobile GAP
 39
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Assessment System. The system is designed as a tool for farmers and Certification
Body (CB) officers to list farm activities and newly adopted techniques which
will later be assessed following the certification procedures. This works on both
mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablets with Android OS and also can work
on notebooks and PCs. In 2013, a pilot project was launched in a small village in
the northern region in Thailand that was successful. One of the main challenges
of this initiative was in getting farmers to learn the new system so that they could
apply for GAP certification for their farms easily and efficiently. It is a good example of
extensive cooperation among community, government agencies, universities and ICT-
based organizations to promote community learning programmes as well as to support
the social, economic and cultural life of the community.
Samkha village: The community that learns
Samkha is a small village located in the north of Lampang Province in Northern
Thailand. It is located in a valley surrounded by a national park and mountain
range. Approximately 160 ha are used for rice farming. The village comprises 159
households and most of them are farmers.

©NECTEC

Figure 20. Samkha village, representative of family farms in remote areas of Thailand
The mountainous natural park is a major water source for the community; water flows
downhill from the higher elevations to supply the villagers and nourish their crops.
However, for four years (1957-1960) logging concessions generated serious damage to
the forest. In tandem came drought and lack of drinking water in the summer, while flash
floods in the monsoon season damaged paddy fields in the lowlands. Otherwise, forest
fires caused by the villagers while hunting for wild animals and harvesting non-wood
40
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

forest products were also responsible for natural resource depletion. After the forest
deteriorated, the villagers began to perceive significant impacts on their livelihoods
as the forest was their main source of food, income and water for consumption and
irrigation. Many villagers fell into in debt.

©NECTEC
Figure 21. Wild fire, flash floods and drought resulting from human activity upset the
natural balance
In April, 2000, Ms Srinuan Wongtrakul, a teacher at
Samkha elementary school and her six students
participated in the workshop on ‘Constructionism Lab’
at the office of non-formal and informal education,
Lampang. It was an opportunity for people to learn about
the story of the Samkha community. It was also the

©NECTEC
beginning of many community learning programmes
set up with funding from both local and international
organizations. The village worked to identify and analyse Figure 22. Ms Srinuan
problems they faced, and brainstormed to find solutions Wongtrkul acts as a
with the support of partner organizations. This learning community information
approach is based on the constructionism theory of broker
Prof. Seymour Papert of the MIT Media Lab. The
constructionism concept places special emphasis on learner-centred learning in which
people use their experiences from real-life practices and acquired knowledge to solve
problems. The processes of learning focus on establishing a knowledge-based society
for better quality of life. Many projects have been implemented to tackle specific
problems; for example, check dams, firebreaks, credit unions and information and
technology centres.
Owing to these learning initiatives, the forest encompassing Samkha village has
regenerated and more water is stored in the community reservoir, sufficient to sustain
agricultural production.
 41
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NECTEC
Figure 23. Before (2005, left) and now (right), Samkha reservoir and a check dam
network have rejuvenated the community

The learning paddy

On 26 July 2009, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
and Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL) organized the workshop
‘The Learning Paddy’ in the community to introduce new rice-planting techniques with
selected rice varieties for that area. The community adopted the new practices and
learned to design packaging and branding of their produce. At present, Samkha village
has two local rice products for sale at the village shop which is managed by the
community committee.
©NECTEC

Figure 24. Rice camp organized by RMUTL and NECTEC in July, 2009
In 2013, The Learning Paddy initiative moved its focus to the assurance of rice quality
via GAP certification. This new learning programme was jointly organized by NECTEC,
RMUTL, the Institute of Product Quality and Standardization (IQS), Maejo University
42
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

(MJU), the Rice Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Samkha
community. Each partner played significantly different roles in implementing the GAP
Assessment System:
• RMUTL provided extension services and worked closely with the community to
improve farming techniques and select suitable rice varieties for the area;
• The Rice Department was the main CB for certifying the farmers’ cultivation
techniques;
• IQS-MJU was the local CB certified by the Rice Department to conduct in-field
assessment at farm sites;
• NECTECT was the application developer working with all official CBs to create
electronic forms for GAP certification application; and
• Selected farmers acted as GAP internal auditors. Village volunteers served as
co-creation learners and technology assistants.

Box 2. A perspective from a community leader

©NECTEC

Mr Chai Wongtrakul, a community leader

Mr Chai Wongtrakul, a community leader and internal inspector observed, “Samkha

village is surrounded by mountains of which 1 920 ha are classified as community
forest. The forest is a source of water suitable for organic farming. The village has
produced safe agricultural products for more than ten years. In this context the
community held a meeting and voted to stop applying agricultural chemicals on
crops. We have learned that improper use of chemical products affects our health
and degrades biodiversity. We adopted the organic farming approach by keeping soil
more fertile through organic matter application. Consequently we produce safe food
products for the external market. Samkha villagers on average own approximately
0.8 ha per household. Arable land is located on foothill terraces. Most of the
agricultural products are for local consumption and the rest is for sale. As we employ
small-scale agriculture, most farm activities employ manual labour and we do not
 43
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

use heavy farm machinery. The village grows two rice varieties, Chiangrai (aromatic
rice) and Thanyasirin (sticky rice). In 2013, the community agreed to learn how to
apply the GAP system to raise the rice production standard; our intention was to
create trust among customers and obtain higher retail prices. With cooperation from
NECTEC, RMUTL, MJM and representatives from the Rice Department, trials for the
Mobile GAP Assessment System were ongoing during the cropping year 2013-2014.
The first group of learners comprised 40 members (with participation by students
from Samkha Elementary School). The children used computers and tablets for data
inputting and certification application purposes; working with farmers during field
inspection resulted in successful acceptance by paddy owners and quick results from
inspectors. At the same time some improper farming procedures were corrected in
order to pass the verification process. Involving the children in these technological
activities and in field work was instrumental in encouraging their parents to be more
positive about the introduction of new technologies to assist with the cultivation of
better crops in the future.”

Implementation of the Mobile GAP Assessment System

Although many villages across the country were nominated for participation during the
programme’s launch, Samkha village was unanimously selected as a pilot community
because of its dynamism and previous experiences with community learning processes.
Dr Supakij Sornprajak of the IQS, Maejo University (MJU) obtained a licence from the
Rice Department to serve as a CB. Dr Pattama Sirichanya of RMUTL was the GAP trainer
to organize training for community members. Both team members attended a
community meeting and explained to the farmers the importance of getting their produce
GAP-certified and the ease with which they could do so with the Mobile GAP programme.
As a result, the village agreed to adopt this new process. Forty family farms volunteered
to apply for GAP certification via the new procedure. In addition, ten students in grade
6 from Samkha Elementary School and two youths, who managed the community’s
Constructionism Lab, joined the team as technology assistants.
The software and application for the Mobile GAP Assessment System was developed by
NECTEC, the IQS-MJM and RMUTL. An orientation workshop on GAP certification was
organized for the farmers’ group. NECTEC staff trained the workshop’s participants to
use the Mobile GAP Assessment System. The workshop’s orientation focused on the
data input process and the students were very quick to understand the process as they
were more familiar with PC and tablet computer use. At this stage, the generation gap
was bridged because participants from different age groups worked together for the
same goal. At the same time, NECTEC staff also trained IQS-MJM and RMUTL staff to
use computer tablets for the certification process, reporting and providing recommendations.
The working timetable for internal and external CBs was three times in one crop production
cycle of 120 days – at the seedling, flowering and harvesting stages.
44
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

The young generation as community IT facilitators

Farmers have usually been skeptical about the introduction of new technologies into
traditional farming practices. Hence, it was a challenge to find a delicate balance when
introducing new and beneficial technologies into traditional farm activities. Youngsters
on the other hand are more open to adopting and implementing ICT-facilitated processes
into traditional practices. Thus they were ideal candidates to be trained as IT facilitators
in the community.
As Samkha is a strong learning community, members have learned many lessons
from the past. The learning process and knowledge gained are well established. The
community has a Constructionism Lab as a centre of learning for community members
and visitors. This building is equipped with a computer and network facilities. This
facility aims to be a constructive place for people to learn about new technologies and
find solutions to their problems.
Learning to implement the Mobile GAP Assessment System was one of the goals for the
laboratory and it provided a platform for others communities to learn from this case.
• The roles of the young generation as IT facilitators are: helping farmers, mostly
their parents, to input personal data online on the GAP-01 form at <www.
gapthailand.in.th>;
• Helping farmers to identify their farm location and area on a digital map and
online map;
• Facilitating farmers to use tablets for internal auditor activities by completing the
GAP-03 form; and
• Interviewing and collecting data on farmers’ farm management to enter into the
system’s GAP-02 form.
©NECTEC

Figure 25. Students of Samkha community as IT facilitators

 45
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Box 3. A farmer who learned how to use technology

with children
Mr Bunsong Bunchareon, 63, the lead internal auditor of the community, has learned
how to use the new certification technology together with the students. He notes,
“I have grown rice for more than 40 years. At present, I grow rice as a staple crop
for my family and close relatives. What remains is put up for sale. I am proud that
my product has good quality and is safe to eat. I have considered how to make
customers trust the produce they are buying and GAP is the way to guarantee this. I
have had experience in registering for GAP certification with the government agency
but as it was very time consuming, involving many forms to be completed, I gave up.
I think that this is another major constraint for farmers like myself. Once I decided
to learn how to apply GAP with the Mobile GAP Assessment System, I witnessed the
results in a short period of time. I can see the possibility of connecting Samkha rice
products to the outside world and hope this system can be made official in the near
future.”

Role of NECTEC as an appropriate technology developer

NECTEC is one of the members of the National
Science and Technology Development Agency
(NSTDA). The Smart Farm Flagship aims to
support national food security, food safety and
better quality of life. Under this policy, NECTEC is
responsible for:
• IT enabling: IT for better agriculture
production, IT for quality assessment
in the production process and quality
assurance, and IT for mitigating climate
change impact and pest outbreaks; and
• Knowledge management (KM) engineering:
IT for KM engineering for better information
and knowledge services.
©NECTEC

NECTEC took part in this learning programme

with IQS-MJM, RMUTL and the Rice Department
for system design of the Mobile GAP Assessment Figure 26. Home page of the
process based on the standardization format from Mobile GAP Assessment System
 46
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

the Rice Department as a National Standard Format. The target of the system focuses
on farmers and officers at the same time in order to encourage them to become Smart
Farmers and Smart Officers. Moreover, the system is laid out to allow tracing back of
data to the source of origin. As the system is developed to overcome tedious paperwork
that existed before, it can be used on mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablets
with Android OS and can also work on notebooks and PCs. An offline component in the
programme assists where there is no satisfactory connectivity in remote area.

©NECTEC
Figure 27. CBs and internal auditors learning together for system implementation

Box 4. A software developer

Mr Watcharakorn Nutong, an application developer, reflected,
“This Mobile GAP Assessment System was originally designed
to facilitate farmers looking for GAP certification. Farmers can
source GAP certification details from <www.gapthailand.in.th>.
The system will convey requested information to the Rice
©NECTEC

Department’s server. The data will be transmitted to mobile

devices of certified CBs in each area automatically. Thus the
CB has the farmer’s information and can contact the farmer to
Mr Watcharakorn implement the process. The certification (code GAP-03)
Nutong, the includes check lists for environmental health and farm
programmer who management such as water sources, soil condition and so
developed the forth. After review, farmers can obtain their unofficial results.
system Any mis-management issue will be relayed back to the farmer
on the GAP-04 form for correction. The official reply will come
after the CB gets the result of laboratory tests on water and soil
quality, but not more than 15 days after harvest.”
 47
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NECTEC
Figure 28. Workflow of the Mobile GAP Assessment System

Mobile GAP Assessment System details

The Mobile GAP Assessment System is designed to facilitate GAP certification by
reducing time-consuming paperwork via digitization of the entire process. The system
upgrades the GAP certification process to facilitate the work of people involved such as
officers, farmers, KM services (extension officers) and policy-makers.
The Mobile GAP Assessment System has four modules:
1. GAP-01: The farmer and farm registration module is a data input form readable
on mobile devices or PCs. It is designed to collect farmers’ personal data. It
can also read data from the national ID card through a card reader. The farm
location data are collected to position the location of the farm on a digital map.
The Google Map API is used to draw the boundary and calculate the farm size
of each farm on the screen. This also serves as a navigation device for officers
or CBs when they visit the farm. Finally, the system will generate a QR code that
contains the farmer’s profile and associated geographical area. It will later be
used by the CB for inspection purposes or traceability.
48
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NECTEC
Figure 29. Screenshot of the GAP-01 form. Farm and farmer’s registration format

2. GAP-02: The farm management data input module records working procedures
on the farm. Details to be entered include fertilizer types, water sources,
irrigation management, agricultural chemicals, farm machinery, labour,
logistics etc. All these data are important for the traceability system as the source
of original data.

©NECTEC
Figure 30. Screenshot of the GAP-02 form. Farm data input form for the traceability
system

3. GAP-03: The certification module is for CBs or inspection officers. This module
runs on Android tablets and is handy and easy to use in the field. The system
can work offline in remote areas that do not have sufficient Internet
connectivity. There is also a navigation tool for CB officers to find the registered
farm; CBs can use this data for planning their daily inspection routes. The data
will be transferred from Android tablet devices to the server for processing
and reporting. It is a paperless system when compared with the present GAP
certification process. And it is almost real time – the farmers can get their
certification results immediately online.
 49
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NECTEC

Figure 31. Screenshot of the GAP-03 form on Android devices. Farm

location and certification check lists
50
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

4. GAP-04, the farmer’s report module is designed to return the certification results
to the farmers. Farmers can check the certification results from mobile devices
or PCs. Any recommendation on mismanagement on farm will help the farmer to
rectify his mistakes before the next inspection. Farmers can check the inspection
result by using web services or mobile devices.

©NECTEC

Figure 32. Screenshot of the GAP-04 form on Android devices. Recommendations to

improve production based on certification results
 51
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Box 5. System components

Components
• PHP programming language
• QR code
• Hastag
• Google Map API
• Java programming language
• Android SDK
• Android multithreading
• Content provider
• JSON
Features:
• Web application
o Can use with browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet
Explorer (version 9 or higher)
o Use for registration requested online (GAP-01)
o Generates the QR code for each registered user automatically, useful for
personal traceability
o For input farm management data (GAP-02)
• Android application
o Can use with Android version 4.0 or higher
o Easy to search registered data
o Has map and navigator functions
o Can adjust screen resolution as WVGA (800*480), WSVGA (1024*600),
WXGA (1280*768)
o Useful for CB officers to certify registered farms (GAP-03,04)
©FAO/Adriana Adinandra
52
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NECTEC
Figure 33. Components of the system

Benefits and impacts

The Mobile GAP Assessment System overcomes complicated procedures and paperwork
which have proven to be costly and time consuming. Farmers regardless of their
location can apply for GAP certification by using the Mobile GAP application, while
officers are able to provide services instantly by using real-time information being fed
into the system. All 40 volunteer farmers who applied GAP certification via the Mobile
GAP Assessment System passed the assessment and received certification for their
produce. As reports and recommendations from the CB are uploaded constantly
into the system after each farm assessment, farmers can check them and use the
recommendations to improve their farm practices in order to meet the GAP requirements.
The farmers from Samkha who received GAP certification have developed their own
brand namely ‘Sarp Samkha’ (Samkha’s treasures) and registered themselves as a
community enterprise to sell their produce with GAP labels on the packages.
 53
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NECTEC
Figure 34. Ms Nari Inmapan with her quality rice products for sale; a pioneer group of
internal auditors trained on system use

The launching of this programme has developed a new community learning model which
engages people from different generations in the village to take part. The generation gap
is bridged by different age groups working and learning together. Farmers are exposed
to new technologies and learn to use them to add value to their produce.
Key success factors
The success of the programme depends largely on:
• The culture and perception of local people that differs from location to location.
Success or failure depends on geographical location;
• Information brokers or people who devote their time and effort to teaching and
empowering others;
• The younger generation who serve as intermediaries between adults and
technology. They help to bridge the generation gap and introduce new
knowledge through family learning;
• Insight Out or ‘learning how to learn’ helps the community to solve problems by
themselves;
• Team building is the first step to set up collaboration networks inside and
outside the community; and
• Good facilitators who approach and work closely with the community.
Constraints and limitations
• Culture and perceptions of local people that differ from location to location;
• How to change the mindset of local people and/or officials working with the
community;
• How to build a Learning Community to provide knowledge but also provide
protection from the complex world;
54
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

• Ageing society; older farmers are unwilling to learn how to apply new
technology;
• Youth leaving the agricultural community as the negative perception about
farming remains strong;
• Lack of research and implementation in using ICT for agricultural benefits;
• Lack of ‘smart’ officers who devote themselves to learning within the
community; and
• No clear national agenda on precision agriculture.
Looking to the future
The development of the Mobile GAP Assessment System and the case study with
Samkha community is a significant turning point for better understanding of the
needs of farmers, officers (CBs) and programme developers to lay out the appropriate
technology for better services and better adoption by farmers. The impacts from this
learning model are well recognized by the Rice Department of Thailand, which is
expected to officially announce the Mobile GAP Assessment System as the official
system in 2015. The estimated number of farmers that will benefit from this system
is around 16 million. The lessons learned from this case study should be transferred
as practising procedures and community approach techniques for smart officers. The
approach of the younger generation as IT facilitators in each farming family and com-
munity should be extended.
Acknowledgements
NECTEC would like to acknowledge people of the Samkha community, especially Ms
Srinuan Wongtrakul, Mr Chai Wongtrakul, Mr Bunsong Bunchareon, Ms Nari Inmapan
and students of Samkha elementary school, Maetha District, Lampang Province,
Thailand who through the Learning Paddy initiative helped Samkha village to become the
first community in the country to apply this system.
We would like to thank Dr Supakij Sornprajak, IQS-MJM and Dr Pattama Sirithanya,
RMUTL for their contributions to the CB process and reflections on the implementing
system. Dr Ladda Viriyangkul, Rice Department, Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives, who participated in this project and extended every effort to transfer the
concept into official procedure.
We would like to thank the NECTEC team – Mr Watcharakorn Nutong, Mr Pirun Panitpol,
Mr Chotravee Nanan, Mr Kiit Pongkittiwattana and Ms Panary Polchan – for their
contributions. NECTEC would also like to thank FAO and APAARI for the opportunity to
share this learning story with the world.
 55
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 5:
The revolutionary PRIDE™ model by
mKRISHI® – empowering farmers
to live with dignity
Srinivasu Pappula 12

The Indian farmer – in dire straits

Agriculture is an important focus area for India providing livelihood to nearly two-thirds
of the Indian population, yet contributing to only 14 percent of the Indian GDP. Thus,
agriculture is being forced to support far more people than it possibly can accomplish.
Even though food production has touched new highs in recent years it has not kept
pace with the exponential jump in the population. Productivity is extremely low due to
unscientific farming practices, fragmented landholdings, lack of agroclimatic focus for
crop selection and lack of access to the right farming advice at the right time. Farmers
are plagued by myriad issues such as timely and reliable access to farm inputs, access
to markets, access to reliable information at the right time and cheap access to credit. To
resolve these issues, new policy reforms were introduced for re-organizing the
production system in the form of corporate and contract farming. These production
systems have been well adopted in farmer producer organizations/producer cooperatives
and have overcome many issues but still lack the technology to facilitate the
market-driven production approach and to access market demand data. An integrated
system would serve as a one-stop knowledge base, creation engine and delivery
channel for distributing personalized cultivation practices to all farmers and optimized
supply chain practices, thus bringing traceability of produce and transparency in
transactions. Farming is turning into a ‘dead’ profession with many marginal farmers
opting to leave their lands barren and migrating into the cities in the hope of a better life.
Over nine million people have abandoned farming and the number of landless
labourers has increased by 36 percent in the past decade. In the cities, the situation is
even worse than anticipated and the once proud farmer who was the cornerstone of the
Indian economy is leading a wretched life of economic desperation and angst.
This situation has led to serious introspection within Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
and various initiatives leveraging technology to alleviate the issues in the agriculture
sector have gathered momentum. The Progressive Rural Integrated Digital Enterprise
(PRIDE™) powered by the mKRISHI® platform is one such initiative innovated by the
TCS.
12
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, India. Contact [email protected]
56
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

The PRIDE™ concept and the mKRISHI® technology framework

A typical PRIDE™ framework is shown in Figure 35

©TCS
Figure 35. Conventional PRIDE™ framework
In such a system, a collective group like a cooperative or a farmer producer company is
the central channel through which various business and agricultural activities are
carried out. This collective group is generally an entity that operates in the field to
connect various organizations like agri-input industries, food-processing industries,
government organizations, financial institutions, agricultural machinery industries and
the stakeholders, i.e. the farmers. In addition, they also trade in large quantities
collectively associating with all the farmers.
However managing this entity manually
is very difficult considering the diversity
and distribution of every end-consumer,
producer, partner and stakeholder. In
addition, economics of growth and self-
sustenance are a major challenge to
overcome. Hence, a solution is needed to
effectively manage it through appropriate
©Ishara Kodikara

injection of technology in all aspects of

its interaction so that the end-result is a
scalable, self-sustaining and economically
viable entity.
 57
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©TCS
Figure 36. The impact of PRIDE™ empowered with the mKRISHI® technology
It was in this context that the mKRISHI® platform was designed by TCS to improve the
operational efficiency and performance of these entities that are critical to the working
of the rural collective enterprise ecosystem. This involves professional and optimized
management of resources, grouping of growers, forward (market) linkages, backward
(agri-inputs and credit) linkages, provision of access to advisory or consultancy
information, improving data visibility and enabling data analytics in such an
unorganized and unstructured sector. To this end the mKRISHI® platform effectively
harnesses the power of farmer numbers under a common umbrella and delivers smooth
flow of data and information to bring structure into the sector. Operational optimization
can be achieved and the collective enterprise’s performance can be improved multifold
so that it can be effectively converted into a PRIDE™ model.
About mKRISHI®
mKRISHI® is a patented mobile-based personalized services delivery platform that
enables two-way data and information exchange between the end-users such as
farmers and field agents and repositories of knowledge such as virtual knowledge banks
and agriculture experts and procurement officers. Currently, mKRISHI® offers a bouquet
of agricultural capacity development needs such as agri-advisory, best practice, alert,
weather forecast and agrisupply chain management (e.g. farm produce procurement)
services. It is not merely a technological platform, but a business solution that
encompasses technology and enterprise management.
58
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©TCS
Figure 37. Interactions among various mKRISHI® components
Based on extensive research in the field and interaction with farmers, TCS has
determined that value creation in the agriculture sector is mainly accomplished by
increasing agricultural productivity, creating fair and transparent markets and
collectivizing small and marginal farmers. The mKRISHI®-PRIDE™ model has been
designed towards adding values along these dimensions as follows:
• Increasing agricultural productivity through the Crop Rotation, Optimization
and Planning System (CROPS™), Agri Knowledge Base (AgriKnoB™) and plant
disease forecasting modules of mKRISHI®;
• Creating fair and transparent markets by eliminating the intermediaries on the
input and market sides and letting PRIDE™ replace them. PRIDE™ negotiates on
behalf of the member farmers with the agri-input companies and the markets/
exchanges through the agricultural commerce system (AgriCommS™) and
e-auction modules of the mKRISHI® platform; and
• Collectivizing small and marginal farmers by improving farm operations and
supply chain efficiency. Improved data visibility can enable PRIDE™ to move
towards data-driven decisions. PRIDE™ can plan its production based on
market demand with the advanced crop planning strategies brought by CROPS™.
In addition, it interacts better with the various agri-input companies and
harnesses the advantages of proactive input procurement.
 59
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©TCS
Figure 38. The CROPS™ framework
Thus, with the mKRISHI® platform, the intelligent management of the collective entity
becomes possible due to the instant digitization of the available field data through the
mKRISHI® mobile component, the transmission of these data over the general packet
radio service (GPRS) or any other equivalent network, and the ready availability of
this data for analysis by experts and operational planners through the mKRISHI® web
component. The analysed data are again transmitted back to the field for implementation.
Success factors of the business model
The introduction of mKRISHI® technology to the conventional concept of a rural
enterprise leads to its subsequent transformation into a well-oiled, economically vibrant
PRIDE™. The ‘digital’ feature of PRIDE™ is the core critical component for this model’s
success; it delivers:
• Content for agricultural practices: mKRISHI® through CROPS™ provides
personalized farming practices;
• Content delivery for stakeholders: An integrated cross-platform delivery system
through mobile/IVR/web technology;
• Business inclusion models: Strategic collaboration among different
stakeholders;
60
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

• Scalability: Scaling up similar platforms across many different locations;

• Localization and optimization: Macrofactors are optimized at the microlevel;
• Market-driven production approaches: Enables demand-driven production
providing traceability and transparency in the process; and
• Risk-mitigating value added: Implementing crop insurance, produce storage
facilities and processing units etc.
Chennai Horticulture Produce Producer Company Ltd. (CHPCL)

The TCS-mKRISHI® project at Kancheepuram in

Tamil Nadu has successfully demonstrated the
concept of PRIDE™ with the formation of CHPCL and
subsequent appropriate technology injection in the
form of the mKRISHI® platform.

For any innovation to be successfully accepted by the

target market, there are two major components:

©TCS
(a) Scientific innovation (in terms of technology
and other major core competencies); and
(b) Business operational innovation (strategy Figure 39.
to launch it to the market with focus on CHPCL company logo
sustainability and commercialization).
CHPCL has incorporated such innovations and created a unique solution that can
potentially make a significant impact on the industry and hence the large population it
serves.

Implementation challenges
Some of the key challenges faced in the field were mobile compatibility issues, mobile
network connectivity and changing farmers’ mindsets so that they could trust in and
adopt new technologies.
A key component of the mKRISHI® technology is the mobile device. It was found in
the field that only a few farmers actually owned mKRISHI®-compatible phones and
this considerably hampered adoption of the technology. This was overcome by
introducing an interactive voice response (IVR) version of the mKRISHI® platform so
that any farmer owning a mobile phone could avail the service. In addition, the inclusion
of field executives into the mKRISHI® technology platform ensured that they could raise
queries on behalf of the farmers they were servicing.
 61
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Even though most rural areas are supposedly within the range of a mobile tower, there
are abundant pockets of dead coverage. To overcome these ‘dead pockets’, technological
innovations such as caching the data for later transmission and automatically resorting
to SMS transmission in areas of poor GPRS connectivity were introduced.
It was a new experience for a technology company like TCS, with limited knowledge of
agriculture, to directly face farmers, interact with them and understand their problems
and issues. TCS overcame these constraints by building rapport with the farmers
and addressing their issues with a great deal of interfacing. Once the benefits of the
association were clear to the farmers, technology was introduced slowly without
significantly altering the status quo. Regular on-the-ground and classroom training was
conducted and agricultural best practices were disseminated to the farmers.

©TCS

Figure 40. The TCS mKRISHI® team’s field training for PRIDE™ farmers (vermicomposting)
In addition, progressive farmers were identified for early adoption of the technology to
become its champions once the benefits were made obvious. Demonstration farms were
created in conjunction with these progressive farmers so that other farmers could ‘touch
and see’ the benefits of new technologies for themselves.
Numerous other operational-level issues such as dealing effectively with scattered
farmers and farms; getting farmers to sign up for joint liability groups which involved
62
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

mutual trust, shared risk and collective decision-making; changing the mindset of
farmers so that farming was treated as a scientific profession rather than economic
drudgery; transitioning farmers away from conventional and traditional methods of
cultivation to modern scientific methods; and finding reliable partners for implementing
the ‘Last Mile Connectivity’ with them were encountered. These were solved through
various innovative means such as farmer ‘clustering’, novel methods of classroom and
field training involving multimedia and ICT technologies to ‘hook’ the farmers,
introducing the farmers to key Department of Agriculture and Horticulture initiatives,
which were hitherto unknown to them, and working with reputed NGOs active in the field
and trusted by local farmers as Last Mile Connectivity partners.
Costs and timelines
The investments included the entire software integration cost and field operational cost.
Otherwise, CHPCL also had to consider the mobile hardware requirements and the
associated GPRS connectivity costs.
In the first year, the cost per farmer was approximately Rs.2,000 (± USS35). Once CHPCL
established itself and started to generate revenues through the sale of produce and
farmer membership costs, the net cost dropped significantly. CHPCL is expected to reach
economic self-sufficiency towards the middle of the third year.
The timelines associated with the project involved a phase-wise implementation plan as
described below:
Phase 1: Training and capacity building (June 2012 to date)
©TCS

Figure 41. Capacity building flow – CHPCL

 63
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Phase 2: Forward and backward linkages (December 2013 to date)

©TCS
Figure 42. Linkages – CHPCL

Benefits/impact of the innovation

(a) Employment in rural areas: Establishing PRIDE™ creates direct employment
opportunities in rural areas by employing about 50 persons for the operations
of each PRIDE™ entity. Further, a vibrant PRIDE™ also creates peripheral
employment in the logistics, packaging and supply chain sectors. Round-the-
year farming activities also guarantee employment for labourers. TCS is in the
process of conducting various research studies to quantify the numbers in
terms of the indirect employment created.
(b) Income of rural people: The success of the PRIDE™ model is dependent upon
increasing the disposable income of the member farmers. The following
factors aid in increasing the income of the farmer which in turn help to raise
his standard of living.
• Increased production
• Increased farm productivity
• Reduction in costs
• Better and cheaper access to credit
• Better and timely access to markets and agri-inputs
• Demand-led diversification leading to year-round employment
64
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

(c) Standard of living: Due to the power of PRIDE™’s collective bargaining

approach, the farmer members enjoy the benefits of better prices at the farm
gate and lower cost of inputs. This leads to a better standard of living for
members and their families.
(d) Increase in disposable income due to improved production and farm productivity,
better access to markets and agri-inputs and year-round employment.
(e) Better access to healthcare: PRIDE™ can ensure that better health care
facilities are brought to the doorstep of the member farmers and their families
through the power of collective bargaining with the health care providers.
(f) Better and cheaper access to credit: PRIDE™ ensures that the days of being
dependent on usurious moneylenders are past. Farmers and their families
have more peace of mind and can focus more on their families and their farms.
(g) Risk mitigation plans which are part of the technology platform ensure that the
farmer is shielded from drastic losses, which previously led to suicides and
rampant exoduses to cities.
(h) Environmental conservation: The holistic approach to agriculture promoted
by PRIDE™ ensures that environmentally friendly techniques such as
vermicomposting, Panchakavya, Gomutra and neem-based pesticides are
advocated. Chemicals are only used when the situation demands them which
in turn leads to a reduction in input costs. Biological control, integrated pest
management and optimal use of nutrients are promoted thorough soil testing
and analysis in PRIDE™ during implementation by CHPCL. The technology
platform enables the capture of all field information so accounting and
planning for environmental factors become possible. It also enables tracking
the organic stature of a farm.
(i) Policy changes: Considering the impact of technology made in implementing,
monitoring and digitizing the data points instantly, direct from the field,
the results have led various institutional bodies to invite us to implement it in
their purviews. As the concept is validated and the power of such instantaneous
information resonates across agri-industries, eventually, TCS believes that
government policies will recommend every farmer to register and digitize
their farm data leading to the development of electronic farm records that will
revolutionize the field of agriculture, food processing and other allied industries.
Replicability
The model furnishes foundations and accommodates customizations according to
regional characteristics and specific sectoral requirements. The mKRISHI® technology
is an engine that will ensure the endurance of the entire process and corresponding
performance.
The idea behind TCS’s involvement in Kancheepuram PRIDE™ was to provide a
framework for replication across the length and breadth of the country. The further
replication of this project could potentially be formulated into a franchise model, where
 65
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

a successful PRIDE™ entity in a region could license its best known practices and
‘localized’ technologies to neighbouring villages.
The Kancheepuram PRIDE™ was designed to inspire multiple replications and to be
considered as the proto-type for the extendable PRIDE™s to which this would be the
concrete and proto-type of reference.
Further expansion would be taking feedbacks from the field to optimize the performance
of the enterprise for additional improvement.
Some of the key factors which enable replication are:
• Well-defined processes covering every aspect of the PRIDE™ operations –
finance, business development etc.;
• Flexibility for accommodating regional characteristics and other specific
variations; and
• Integration into pre-existing systems of various stakeholders.
Future potential and scalability
The entire digital enterprise was designed to be scaled across the country, eschewing
dependencies including geographical location or the crop under cultivation or other
agricultural concepts. The model was strategically framed to demonstrate the potential
and capability of collective trading and procurement with the power of technology.
The scalability of the innovation cuts across various fronts. In terms of technology,
the structure has been designed to handle millions of transactions. Active research is
ongoing to make the system, including the infrastructure, even more robust so that
the response time can be further reduced. In addition, intelligent knowledge bases and
retrieval systems are being designed so that responses can be answered in real time
and automatically. These and many other similar initiatives are being funded through the
TCS advanced research budget. The timeline for their release will be over the next 12 to
18 months.
Regarding operations and business, at the microlevel, the mKRISHI® platform enables
scaling up in terms of the number of farmers serviced by each field executive. Before
technology intervention, a field executive would typically service about 50 to 80
farmers on a consistent basis. This can be scaled up to about 500 farmers by following
best practices and processes through the mKRISHI® technology platform. At the
macrolevel, PRIDE™ with its well-defined processes and underlying scalable
technology platform, is very relevant for every private and cooperative enterprise in the
food-processing industry, dairy cooperatives, sugar cooperatives and so forth. This
helps to understand the issues, feedback mechanisms, timely interventions and infusion
of professional management for willing organizations. The platform can be extended
66
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

on a national level to the Animal Health and Artificial Insemination Programme in

collaboration with organizations like paraveterinarian associations, IndiaGen, BAIF, the
JK Trust and dairy cooperatives. In addition, active pilots are ongoing in the fisheries and
aquaculture sectors.
As this framework penetrates, the geographical distribution challenge will cease to
exist; for example farmers from Surat can communicate with the experts at Chandigarh
for advisory and trading services with the entire database available instantly on
screen. An integral grid and collective growth become possible with the power of this
technology which can aggregate growth across regions as the success stories resonate
in this sector and adoption multiplies. All the PRIDE™s are linked together through the
platform so that a PRIDE™ in Uttar Pradesh, which specializes in lettuce, can sell its
produce to a consumer in Chennai. Figure 43 illustrates expansion plans over the next
year.

©TCS

Figure 43. TCS's expansion plan

 67
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

In addition, TCS is looking to align itself with various like-minded entities such as ICAR,
SFAC, the World Bank, IFAD, ICRISAT, and TNAU to create a network effect, through
which PRIDE™ can scale up even faster, both internally as well as externally.
The next ten years
PRIDE™, enabled by the technology nexus, application of agricultural best practices and
processes and tried and tested management principles, can address farmers’ issues
by systematically delivering services to their doorsteps. With the Technology-driven
Enterprise Business Model, the TCS vision for the next ten years is:
1. To reach a sustained repeat user-base of ten million farmers covering 10 000
PRIDE™s in ten years while promoting collective establishments;
2. To promote and replicate economically viable and vibrant PRIDE™s engaged
in market activities and healthy competitive practices that positively impact
their respective stakeholders; and
3. To foster the formation of specialized PRIDE™s which leverage the strengths
of a particular region and ensure a unique brand value for each of the
specialized PRIDE™s.
This innovation will dramatically alter
the rural landscape in India over
the next ten years. The fostering of
economically vibrant PRIDE™s across
the country will enable them to act as
nodes within rural communities for
economic job creation, market linkages
and enhancement of bargaining power.
This will lead to a better standard of
living in rural communities and stop
the present-day mindless urban migration
and the subsequent squeezing to
the hilt of already constrained urban
resources.
©Nut Iamsupasit/Shutterstock.com
68
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

© FAO/ Gerard Sylvester

 69
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 6:
Mobile market information service:
A pilot project of ICT use for
smallholder farmers in
Papua New Guinea
James Laraki 13

Background
Agriculture plays a critical role in the national economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The
sector employs over 80 percent of the people, who are mostly smallholder farmers and
depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
While the sector has the potential to empower people and create wealth, it is confronted
with many challenges to increase production to feed the growing population and to
improve the market accessibility of small-scale farmers.
Information and communication technologies (ICT) play an important role in addressing
these challenges and improving the livelihoods of the farming community. This article
reports on a pilot project initiated in PNG to provide timely market information to
smallholder fresh produce farmers via mobile phones and explores how it could
contribute to improving the livelihoods of rural farmers.
ICT use and its importance
New knowledge, based on innovative ideas and systematic research, is crucial for
agricultural and rural development. However, the extent of the positive impact of new
knowledge depends on how effectively this knowledge is transferred to and adopted by
the farming communities and other end-users.
ICT tools are increasingly becoming useful in this process and can play an essential role
to facilitate the flow of relevant information and technologies to farming communities
(Anzu 2009).

13
Sir Alkan Tololo Research Center, National Agricultural Research Institute, Papua New Guinea.
Contact [email protected]
70
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Modern tools such as geographic information systems, mobile telephony, Web 2.0
technologies and social networking are offering new and innovative approaches for
enhancing the dissemination of agricultural information in support of conventional
extension systems which are almost dysfunctional in PNG. These tools are promising
and are seen to play an important role in facilitating interactive knowledge creation
and real time information dissemination for improved agricultural development and
productivity.
Access to mobile phone and Internet coverage has seen an increase in the use of the ICT
tools. However, ICT use in agriculture, especially by smallholder farmers in PNG, has
been limited due to various constraints. This has denied smallholder farmers access to
useful information on improved farming practices, climate updates, market information
and other important inputs.
Improving market access
Providing up-to-date market information on prices of commodities, supply and
consumer trends can improve farmers’ livelihoods substantially and allows them to
negotiate for a better price for their produce (Stienen et al. 2007). Such information is
vital in assisting smallholder farmers to make informed decisions on their future crops
as well as about the best time and place to sell their produce.
Due to poor communication facilities, smallholder farmers in rural areas generally have
no idea of prices for their produce before they travel to the urban markets. They often
rely on intermediaries, who in some instances have been accused of taking advantage of
this ignorance. As reported by Stienen et al. (2007), access to accurate and timely market
information can significantly reduce transaction and associated costs. This is very much
the case for rural producers in PNG where perishable produce has to be transported to
distant urban markets. Poor transport infrastructure and other vital facilities missing in
the market chain in the country have led to high loss of income by smallholder farmers.
Mobile phone use
Mobile phones are transforming the lives of many users in developing countries and are
widely recognized as an important current and future technology platform for developing
nations (Kenneth 2010).14
The use of mobile telephones in PNG, especially in rural areas, is relatively new, but they
are already having a noticeable effect in the country (ABC Radio Australia 2010). ABC
Radio Australia (2010) noted that the use of mobile phones has expanded rapidly across
the country, with an estimated 80 percentage coverage achieved since the introduction
of competition in the mobile phone market in 2007.
14
http://mak.ac.ug/documents/IFIP/RoleofMobilePhonesAgriculture.pdf
 71
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

The increased coverage is a result of the national government initiative to introduce

competition in the mobile phone market, allowing Digicel, a Caribbean mobile phone
company, to compete in the domestic market with the state-owned mobile phone firm,
B-Mobile. The introduction of competition has seen an improvement in mobile telephone
network coverage, reaching far more areas than in the past with the state monopoly of
the mobile phone industry. With wider network coverage, many rural people,
including smallholder farmers, have seen significant improvement in communication.
The increased use of mobile phones and wider coverage of the country makes the mobile
market information service initiative a promising one.
Mobile Market Information Service project
The Mobile Market Information Service (MMIS) project was initiated by the Fresh
Produce Development Agency (FPDA) to provide up-to-date market information of fresh
produce to smallholder farmers and other players in the value chain. The project launched
in October 2009, is in line with the efforts of the FPDA to transform the way it conduct its
business in disseminating market information to smallholder farmers and other actors
(Worinu 2009).
The project is being implemented in partnership with Digicel, one of the two mobile
phone companies operating in the country, with funding support from the Agricultural
Innovative Grant Scheme (AIGS) of the Australian Agency for International Development
(AusAID).
The FPDA, the state agency responsible for the development of the horticulture and fresh
produce industry, initiated the project in efforts to address the challenges confronted by
growers along the fresh produce value chain.
Potential benefits
Access to accurate market information in a timely manner by the vast majority of rural
farmers and other players along the value chain is a major constraint to the efficiency
and effectiveness of marketing locally produced fruits and vegetables in the domestic
market (Worinu 2009).
With this initiative, smallholder farmers have the opportunity to get up-to-date market
information on their produce through their mobile phones which was something that
they were unable to do in the past. The initiative allows smallholder farmers to have
some idea of the prices, status of supply and quality available at the selected urban
markets. Having this information on hand will allow smallholder farmers to make
informed production and marketing decisions for their produce (Worinu 2009). FPDA
(2012) noted that with readily available market information, it would allow growers and
consumers to decide on what to grow, when to grow and harvest, how much to grow,
where to sell, and what and where to buy.
72
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

This service provides information on prices, supplies and quality of various fruits and
vegetables available at any given time at selected urban markets around the country.
In the past smallholder farmers had difficulty in accessing market information and they
would bring produce to urban market such as Port Moresby without knowing the prices
and the available supply of their produce there. Worinu (2009) noted lack of market
information led to poor marketing decisions by smallholder farmers leading to high
losses of income. FPDA (2009) hopes this initiative will ensure market information is at
the fingertips of farmers and is a step forward into the information age.
Steps to accessing market information
To access market information, users are required to send a short message service (SMS)
using a specified call code to Digicel, the service provider, with an appropriate product
code and the variable required as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Crop type, code units and variables

Crop Code unit
Avocado AVO
Bean – (Snake/French) BEAN
Broccoli BROC
Cabbage GAR
Carrot CAR
Garlic GAR
Onion ONN
Orange ORA
Pineapple PINE Variables
Irish potato POT Price
Sweet potato SPOT Supply
Tomato TOM Quality
Source: FPDA (2012).
 73
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Table 2: Steps used in creating SMS to obtain market information

Steps Required input
1 Create an SMS (Digicel mobile phone)
2 Type CODE UNIT, and leave space
3 Type desired VARIABLE
4 Send text to 4636
5 A return SMS received with requested information
Source: FPDA (2012).

After sending the SMS, users will receive a return message containing the desired
information at any urban market instantly. Figure 44 exhibits the information received
from the return text message.
The service is currently providing market information
for a total of 12 crops at eight urban markets. The
eight urban markets are Goroka (Eastern Highlands
Province), Lae, Morobe Province, Mt. Hagen (Western
Highlands Province), Port Moresby (National Capital
District), Madang (Madang Province), Wewak (East
Sepik Province), Popondetta (Oro Province) and
Kokopo (Eastern New Britain Province).
©NARI

Figure 44. Mobile phone

©NicoElNino/Shutterstock.com

screen with composed

message for potato

74
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©NARI
Figure 45. Map indicating the urban markets
The FPDA has placed surveyors at the various urban markets who collect and analyse the
information on a weekly basis and make it available to Digicel for distribution through its
network (Worinu 2009).
Users’ feedback
Due to the wider coverage of the mobile phone network, the initiative is accessible by
many rural farmers and other players in the value chain, although the exact figure cannot
be verified.
While the initiative is a step in the right direction, little improvement is expected in
terms of level of income and overall livelihoods of rural farmers because there are many
other factors such poor postharvest handling, lack of cooling facilities, transportation
difficulties and other factors faced along the value chain that influence and have
significant impacts on the livelihoods of smallholder growers.
Julie Manoroh, a female sweet potato grower from Henganofi, in the Eastern Highlands
indicated that while she had tried getting market information from this service, it was a
minor factor in determining where and when to sell her produce. “It is easier and cheaper
to bring my produce from my village to Lae market. I am more comfortable going to
Lae market as I am used to it now that I have been regularly doing my marketing here.
 75
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Besides I have relatives in Lae who accommodate me when I have to sell my produce
over a couple days. I wish I could go and sell my produce in places like Port Moresby
where the price is higher, but I am unable to meet the cost of shipment and
accommodation and other associated cost while in Port Moresby” (J. Manoroh, personal
communication, 22 March 2014).
.
Conversation with this end-user of the services reflects that the market information made
available through this initiative has little bearing on farmers in deciding an appropriated
place and time to sell their produce. High transportation cost, security issues and
accommodation in urban centres continue to play a large part in decision-making by
farmers.
The actual benefits of the initiative would become clearer with analysis of users being
surveyed electronically and other studies conducted to determine the impacts of the
initiative on users.
Outscaling
The project is the first of its kind in terms of ICT use in agriculture in PNG where
smallholder farmers and rural communities are seen to be directly participating. This
initiative signified a milestone for the agriculture sector in PNG in its efforts to
better communicate market information and other relevant information to farming
communities.
While the initiative will no doubt allow farmers access to up-to-date market information,
it will be a learning experience for the FPDA, smallholder farmers and other players. The
outcome of this project will go a long way in determining its replication to other areas
and also venturing into the use of other promising ICT tools available.
Before any attempt is made to replicate this technology, it is essential to have clear
picture of how it has benefited users, especially with regard to improvement in income
levels and livelihoods of rural farmers.
Ensuring sustainability is another major challenge. Several studies indicated most major
donor-funded projects implemented in the country in the past experienced difficulties
with sustainability.
Plans for programme continuity should be in place to ensure the sustainability of donor
funding (AIGS support) once it comes to an end. Cost-sharing arrangements between
local stakeholders, NGOs, farmers’ organizations, local-level and provincial governments
need to be formalized so that the project is sustained after donor support is concluded.
Awareness is also needed to ensure all stakeholders take ownership of such initiatives
and encourage users to prepare for any cost incurred in using such services.
76
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Freight costs, law and order issues along the value chain, weather data and other useful
information which are necessary in the value chain also need to be considered and built
into this service to make it a complete package.
Once it is fully tested and proved satisfactory the technology could be replicated to
other agricultural commodities such as coffee, cocoa, oil-palm and copra for smallholder
farmers to get maximum benefit and be better prepared when negotiating prices.
The market data collected could also be disseminated through other traditional media
such as local radio, newspapers, television and also posted on notice boards at district
headquarters around the country to ensure as many smallholder farmers as possible
have access to this vital information. Putting such information online could be an option
in the future with increased Internet access and awareness.
Lessons learned
Mobile telephony coverage has improved recently, with introduction of competition in
the local mobile phone market. This is big jump as most rural areas in PNG have never
had landline phone and telegraph systems, Internet access or computers. Having access
to mobile phones enables people in rural areas to communicate with the outside world
and in the process skip several steps in the evolution of phone technologies. This in itself
is an important change.
This evolution in mobile phone use makes the MMIS project a promising venture.
With wider mobile network coverage, many rural people have access to the market
information service, but to what extent smallholder farmers benefit from this
development remains to be seen.
Recent studies on the use of mobile phones in PNG conducted by ABC Radio Australia
in 2010 indicate the key benefit felt by the rural population is on social uses of the
technology rather than functional uses. This means people view the mobile phone as a
means to communicate with relatives living in other parts of the country – working in
a city like Port Moresby, or a child who is attending school away from home. The use
of mobile phones is becoming widespread but use of SMS and other features is not so
popular. For rural people, it is becoming a tool that enables them to hear the voice of
their loved one and reconnect with family members and relatives.
The study indicated that even if many farmers have access to market information through
mobile phones, this does not lead to significant improvements in their livelihoods. This
technology certainly provides an opportunity to get useful information but mobile phone
service alone is not the solution to all problems. Other requirements such as cooling
facilities, transportation, freight subsidy and access to credit facilities need to be
improved in order to ensure farmers gain better returns from selling their produce.
 77
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

While use of mobile phones and other ICT tools have potential, there is still more to be
done.
Way forward
This initiative is by far the most outstanding example of ICT use in agriculture in the
country where smallholder farmers are seen to be participating. It is also seen as an
initiative that is more formally facilitated through institutional arrangements.
While service is now free, it is likely that users of the service may be charged for access
to such information in the future, which may be discouraging. This may affect its
sustainability, expansion and popularity in the future. The FPDA and other concerned
organizations need to devise ways on how best to sustain this initiative and also to
explore other options further to expand the use of mobile technology to improve the
livelihoods of rural communities and the overall economy of the country.
While there is an indication of expanding this initiative (FPDA 2009) to cover 60 products
(crops) and to identify more markets, creating awareness among all players in the value
chain is required in order for them to become better organized to make use of this
technology. All concerned stakeholders must be engaged in these processes to ensure
that they take ownership of such an initiative.
It is also essential to improve human resource management and capacity development
for staff on site at urban markets to collect, analyse and validate the information
collected. This will ensure information made available through the service is accurate
and up to date.
There is also a need to develop more practical communication strategies, both at
institutional and national levels, to clearly define various procedures and measuring tools
for fostering better use of ICT in the agriculture sector.
Conclusion
Effective communication is essential for sharing of information and innovations among
all players of the agriculture sector in the country. ICT certainly provides an opportunity
and has a role in our efforts to share, manage and disseminate information. Initiatives
such as the MMIS need to be supported and strengthened to ensure their sustainability;
at the same time other options must be explored to assist smallholder farmers to have
access to and utilize modern tools available to help them make informed decision to
get better returns for their produce. Such efforts will go a long way to improving food
security, cash income and the overall livelihoods of rural communities.
78
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Recommended reading
Anzu, S. (2009). ICT vital for agricultural development. The National. Retrieved from
Http:// http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/12711
Attaluri, S. & Maru, A. (2011). Information and communication technologies/
management in agricultural research for development: a status report.
Bangkok, Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes. Retrieved
from http://www.apaari.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/01/ICT_ICM-
for-AR4D-in-AP-Region_Status-Report.pdf
Australian Broadcasting Cooperation - Radio Australia. (2010). Dramatic increase in
mobile phone use in PNG. Available at, http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/
international/radio/onairhighlights/dramatic-increase-in-mobile-phone-use-
in-png
Australian Broadcasting Cooperation - Radio Australia. (2011). Pros and cons of
mobile phone use in rural PNG. Available at, http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/
international/radio/onairhighlights/pros-and-cons-of-mobile-phone-use-in-
rural-png
Fagan, G. (2009). Farmers to benefit from Digicel mobile service. Fresh Produce News,
88: 2.
Fresh Produce Development Agency. (2009). Fresh Produce Development Agency
Strategic Plan 2009 – 2020, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Fresh Produce Development Agency. (2012). Fresh Produce News, 195: 12.
Laraki, J. (2012). Use of ICT tools in agricultural development. The National. p.11.
Stienen, J., Bruinsma, W. & Neuman, F. (2007). How ICT can make a difference
in agricultural livelihoods. International Institute of Communication and
Development,
Worinu, M. (2009). FPDA develops a mobile marketing information system for rural
vegetable farmers in PNG. Fresh Produce News, 88: 12.
©FAO/Daniel Hayduk
 79
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Case Study 7:
Nano Ganesh – a revolutionary ICT
tool for farm irrigation
Santosh Ostwal 15

Midnight in winter of 1981 in a small village in India – 81-year-old Sukhlal, a

passionate farmer is sleeping with his family. Suddenly an inner alarm bell rings
and Sukhlal wakes up and informs his wife, “I have to rush to the farm”. His wife is
worried about the dangerous path that Sukhlal has to take to reach the field at this
time of night.
Sukhlal takes his walking stick and a lantern and walks about 1 km through the dense
bush. The fear of animals, snakes and other elements of the wild plays on his mind
as he walks through the dark night. This is his daily routine. He does not know when
he will return home.
The reason for Sukhlal’s visit to the farm is to switch on his water pump. There had
been no power for the whole day and when it was restored at 02.00, he had to walk to
his farm to switch on the motor to irrigate his crop. Besides switching on the pump,
he would have to wait for almost two hours to switch it off before returning home.
The threats of theft of the water pump, cable or panel add to the difficulty in irrigating
his farm.

Introduction
The story of Sukhlal is the story of most farmers in India who own water pumps.
Convenient and safe pump operation, savings on labour and fuel expense and assuring
family safety generated a need for a simple and low-cost solution to avoid frequent
exhausting trips to distant water pumps.
This involved controlling water pumps in a remote location and could only be satisfied
by the revolutionary technology ‘Nano Ganesh’ which is an electronic hardware-based
remote control solution for controlling water pumps with the help of a mobile phone.
Nano Ganesh is an electronic modem; it is a simple and low-cost solution derived from
two decades of dedicated work in e-irrigation for empowering farmers, irrespective of
gender, language, age or education.
15
Ossian Agro Automation Private Limited, India. Contact [email protected]
80
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Twenty thousand farmers in

India are benefiting from Nano
Ganesh (as of August 2014).
After installing the Nano
Ganesh unit at the pump end,
a farmer can switch it on or
off with the help of a mobile
phone from any distance.
His phone also displays the
availability of the power
supply at the pump end as

©Nano Ganesh
well as on/off status. Hence,
farmers are not needed to
physically visit sometimes
hazardous pump sites in
remote locations all the time. Figure 46. A farmer controlling his pump by mobile
phone
The basic version was developed in 2003-2004 and was continually upgraded over
time. In 2009 the product was the Grand Winner at the ‘Nokia Calling All Innovators’
competition in the emerging market category in Barcelona, Spain.
Scenario for Indian rural irrigation
To understand the market scenario for rural automation in India, the scenario of the
water pump industry has to be understood, because the demand for Nano Ganesh is a
derived need from the demand for irrigation pump sets.
Market for irrigation pump sets
About 25 million water pumps deliver water to Indian farmers. It is estimated that the
total Indian pump industry is worth around US$980 million and this is expected to grow
by around 7 percent in the medium term. Domestic water pumps meet an estimated 95
percent of the country's demand according to the FICCI report for the DST Lockheed
Martin IIGP Program in 2011.
The Indian economy is primarily agrarian and the country is one of the highest exporters
of food grains. Water pumps play a key role in agriculture and remote automation has
made the irrigation process easier.
The market for irrigation pump manufacturing is fragmented with many small- and
medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), a small number of large Indian players and a host of
multinationals.
 81
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

The vast majority of smaller pump manufacturers have a local presence in states like
Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, which are primarily agrarian economies. Their
products find ready markets as purchase decisions are made by the farmers who are not
familiar with emerging technologies.
This is also one of the reasons for minimal product upgrade as far as agricultural pumps
made by the SME sector is concerned. Things are gradually changing with improved
marketing efforts, thanks to the entry of multinationals.
Over the past few years, domestic players have been looking at the huge global market.
This has resulted in exports growing by around 10 percent in recent years, and more
importantly, a gradual improvement in quality, particularly amongst smaller players
venturing into the global arena. Indian irrigation pumps are today exported to over 70
countries, including developing African nations.
The Indian irrigation pump industry is expected to grow to US$1.25 billion by 2015,
fueled mainly by soaring domestic demand from water and power sectors,
complemented by an increase in international exposure.
Markets for irrigation technologies in farming communities differ in India owing to:
• Education – illiterate, literate, advanced;
• Geographical locations – coastal belts, hilly areas, plains, deserts, jungles etc.;
• Cropping patterns – horticulture, cereals, rice, sugar cane, tea, cotton etc.;
• Family structure – joint, individual, nuclear etc.;
• Different types of irrigation technology;
• Irrigated and non-irrigated (monsoon-based) systems;
• Economies of scale – rich, medium and poor farmers;
• Social status – elites, marginalized, indigenous groups etc.;
• Available telecommunication connectivity;
• Population status – progressive, underdeveloped, dalit etc.; and
• Electricity and water sources.
Challenges faced by farmers in controlling water pumps
• Distant locations of the water pumps in hazardous
areas near rivers, wells, ponds, lakes etc.;
• Difficult terrain through dense plantations or
©Nano Ganesh

cultivated areas;
• Dangerous wild animals on the way to water
pumps;
• Erratic power due to heavy density of electricity
distribution in the irrigation zones; Figure 47. Night visits to a
water pump
82
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

• Odd hours or night operation schedules due to availability of power only during
night hours;
• Electric shock hazards due to wet areas and electricity leakages near the water
pump;
• Weather – rain, scorching heat, cold winters;
• Expenses for the operator such as fuel;
• Fear of water pump theft and accessories like cables, panels and starters etc. –
replacement costs; and
• No quantification of usage and wastage of water and electricity.
Due to these challenges there is a tendency to avoid frequent trips to the pumps by
continuously running them whenever electricity is available. They are not switched off
after use. Different tools are adopted for running water pumps in continuous ON mode
by using auto switches, automatic starters and sometimes by ‘bypassing’ the overload
relays of the starter. This happens in sugar-cane producing belts to a larger extent.
Although it is understood that this is harmful to their water pumps and there is serious
wastage of energy, the urgent need for water makes the risk of direct running of the
water pump worth taking. But, due to the associated challenges, they are not switched
off carefully and remain in the ON mode. There are about 25 million water pumps in
India in the agriculture sector. Hence, there are huge losses of water and electricity as
well as degradation of soil. Because of unavoidable visits to the pumps, the expenses for
motorcycles, fuel and labour are a major burden for farmers.
Trends in irrigation automation
Two decades ago, many electronic devices like automated switches, timers, water-level
controllers and indicators flooded the markets. They were simple and low-cost solutions
to control the water pumps based on electricity availability, water level, dry running of
pumps, seasonal need and so forth. Many local manufacturers dominated the market
and very few branded products were available.
During the last decade, there was a major innovation in the irrigation sector, i.e.
employing mobile phones for controlling water pumps. Since 2003, a farmer has been
able to switch on/off water pumps with this technology. With some inertia in the initial
period, the market accepted the technology after realizing the opportunity it provided.
This concept was appreciated by the international community.
There are many experiments that address such technologies for agriculture and it is
perceived that tools should be low cost with the assurance of support at the local level.
The need for an appropriate solution for remotely controlling water pumps arose from
the challenges mentioned earlier. The result is the outcome of dedicated efforts and
various trends in automation to solve the routine problems that farmers face during
irrigation periods.
 83
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Challenges faced in implementing ICT tools in the rural and irrigation sector

• Irregular electricity supply in villages and farms: It is difficult to demonstrate,

install, test and commission the products during the day due to erratic power
supply.
• Difficult terrain: Field engineers sometimes face problems reaching pump sites
for ICT installation owing to the rugged landscape which is difficult to navigate
by motor vehicles at odd hours. Often they have to travel 5 to 10 km on foot.
• Resistance of technicians to work in the rural sector. There is a need for
dedicated and passionate people to implement such technologies.
• Serious hazards at the water pump sites: Sometimes the pump area is wet which
means electric shock threats. Also the presence of dangerous wild animals can
be a deterrent.
• Illiterate farmers and stubborn conventional mindsets: Convincing farmers
who are accustomed to their habitual irrigation routines to change to modern
technology and inspiring confidence in it needs considerable patience by the
promoter.
• Heavy expenditure on advocacy: Marketing, advertising, promotion, training,
after-sale support etc. These expenses are a major drain on revenue from ICT
products.
• Investment for expansion: Generating a sustainable business model to
accommodate different expenses is a real challenge to convince investors.
Currently a business model asks for investments which include either grants or
long-term loans with low interest or demand advocacy by NGOs.
• Low-cost needs: There is huge disparity in the heavy cost incurred by R&D as
well as promotion campaigns, the practical cost accepted by the farmers and
breakeven cost for entrepreneurs.
• Buying inertia is high: Time taken to percolate the product into the market. This
does not marry with investors’ financial calculations.
• Business revenue declines in the summer and in the rainy season: It is a
significant challenge to arrange for specific business models to accommodate
labour for optimum production in these periods.
• Expenses in advocacy for energy and natural resources: Water and energy are
provided at subsidized cost or almost free; the value of these vital resources is
not being acknowledged and there is a huge wastage. Major investment in terms
of time and advocacy is incurred before promotion of products.
• Competition due to local players in rural areas after the technology is accepted:
Although much time is invested in pioneering the technology, local competition
rivalry starts when business revenues are accruing. This creates a considerable
setback for the pioneers who have devoted their lives to building a strong market
platform.
• Unpredictable purchase mindset of the farmers owing to unpredictable natural
disasters, market rates, policies and so forth.
84
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Mitigating challenges and establishing optimism for ICT in the irrigation sector
In spite of these challenges, Nano Ganesh addresses them by reaching thousands of
customers across the whole of India. Rural market characteristics are exponential, i.e.
initially slow demand but great demand after trust is built. Technology should be low
cost at least in the initial period to build trust among clients with assurance of support
at the local level.
Despite the challenges there are success factors for ICT implementation in farm
irrigation that should inspire rural and social entrepreneurs:
• Realization of the positive socio-economic change in their lives due to the
technology. Acceptance is built through trust.
• Practicality of the remote control system: Once farmers experience drastic
reduction in visits to pumps, saving money in terms of petrol and labour
expenses, they will be more positive about the technology.
• Local accessibility and after-sales support – this is the most essential factor for
maintaining a sustainable and scalable business.
• Demonstrations and pilot installations can help to ‘win’ farmers over to the
technology.
• Low cost.
• Prompt service.
• A trusted brand.
• Commitment to provide three to five years service for the technology.
Description of Nano Ganesh
Nano Ganesh is a mobile phone-based remote control system by which a farmer can
remotely control and monitor his water pump with the help of a mobile phone.
Nano Ganesh serves as an interface between high voltage electrical starters and low
voltage mobile phones enabling a farmer to switch on/off his water pump and check the
availability of water supply near the pump end.
©Nano Ganesh

Figure 48. Nano Ganesh flow chart

 85
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

A farmer can operate the Nano Ganesh modem through an inbuilt mechanism for
reception and feedback. By entering a preset code into his mobile, a farmer can switch
on/off the pump from any location. Figure 49 shows the Nano Ganesh operation
sequence.

©Nano Ganesh
Figure 49. Nano Ganesh operation sequence
In order to switch on the system, a farmer is required to make a call to the Nano
Ganesh-connected mobile phone near the electric starter. The call will be automatically
received. A long beep indicates the availability of power supply at the pump end. In case
of no electricity supply, the farmer will not hear a different sound on his phone. Upon
receiving the power-available indication, the farmer is required to press a preset digit
code to switch the pump on. After dialing the code, a typical feedback tone confirms
the successful running of the pump. After confirmation of successful running of the
water pump, the farmer can hang up. To switch off the water pump, a similar process is
adopted using a different preset code.
Functions of Nano Ganesh
• A farmer can switch his pump on/off with a mobile or landline phone from
anywhere.
• He can check availability of the power supply near the pump end.
• He can acknowledge the on/off status of the water pump.
• He can receive alert messages about ‘Power ON/OFF’, ‘Pump ON/OFF’, theft
attempts etc. on his mobile phone.
• In a recent developments, water pumps are using Cloud technology for analytics
of daily, weekly and monthly reports of pump operations, energy consumption,
region-wise distribution of energy etc.
Unique capabilities and features
• Nano Ganesh is a pioneer technology that has been continuously upgraded
based on feedback from thousands of farmers all over India since 1996.
• It is very simple and easy to use; it can be installed, repaired by local technicians.
• There is a range of products with different costs and applications (as low as
US$12).
• No language, age or gender barrier for the user. An illiterate person can handle
the system with ease. Housewives are effectively using this device to relieve their
husbands from the responsibility of irrigation control.
86
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

• Nano Ganesh is an excellent tool in M2M applications where any electrical

device can be connected to the telecommunication link with Cloud technology
for computation requirements.
A farmer can purchase a Nano Ganesh modem directly from the company, local dealers,
NGOs or local village technicians. A mobile phone and service connection has to be
additionally purchased by the farmer.
Different models
Figure 50 shows different models. Nano Ganesh has been exclusively designed for
agricultural water pumps. Its product price ranges from US$12 for the basic model
NGA to US$120 for the high-tech NG GSM model. More recent models are using the
GSM module-based system with additional features to connect water pumps to Cloud
technology.
Ossian Agro Automation is promoting different Nano Ganesh models designed
according to the specific requirements of users and farming patterns in different site
conditions, specific utility needs, budgets and various markets.

Figure 50. Nano Ganesh C with a mobile phone

Nano Ganesh C is the most popular version.

The product price is inclusive of input costs;
indirect expenses on training,awareness
programmes, advertising, travelling, promo
tions and professional fees (Table 3).
©FAO/Asim Hafeez
 87
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Table 3. Nano Ganesh C product details

Description US$ % of MRP
Product cost in US dollars 50 100
Raw materials 12 24
Labour, testing 2 4
Logistics 2 4
Variable cost I/P per product (Sr.no.2+3+4) 16 32
Fixed expenses – training, advocacy, travels, 7.5 15
promotions, advertising, salaries, others
Total product input cost (fixed +variable) 23.5 47
Profit @13% 6.5 13
Selling cost to state distributor 30 60
Discount in distribution – 3 to 4 levels 20 40
Note: A mobile phone and service connection has to be additionally purchased by the
farmer.

The installation cost is around US$5. This

is borne by the farmer. In case of defects
in the functioning of the modem, the Agro
Electronic Commandos (AECs) charge a
minimum referral fee of US$2. The AEC
is a local village technician who is key
to success in implementing electronics
technology, especially in rural hazardous
©Nano Ganesh

zones. He is a local man trusted by farmers

as well as dealers and provides a useful
bridge between the manufacturer, dealer
and the end customer. Nano Ganesh
management has always paid attention Figure 51. A local village electrician is vital
to ensuring adequate on-site and for ICT implementation in irrigation
in-plant training for these technicians.
88
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Socio-economic impact
Additional benefits to farmers and their families:
• Savings of sometimes US$500 per year;
• Flexibility in irrigation planning with precise control over irrigation. Every drop of
water is used very effectively without visiting the water pumps;
• Enhanced quality of life due to better financial status;
• Saving of resources – electricity, water, fuel, time and labour;
• For a 5 horsepower water pump, Nano Ganesh saves 1 000 litres of water, 3-5
units of electricity, 2 hours of person time, 1 litre of fuel and 2 hours of machine
time per day. Soil quality is enhanced as vital minerals are retained – otherwise
lost with excessive irrigation. Carbon footprint is mitigated;
• Farmers empowered in marketing and other developments;
• Enhanced water planning;
• Enhanced information dissemination;
• Heavy saving in the fuel and operator costs;
• Technology divide bridged; and
• Farmers and irrigation operators are made technology literate.
Specific impact related on women:
• Safe and secure with husband or otherwise at home all night long;
• Record keeping of daily irrigation;
• Updates on markets, money, weather etc.; and
• Employment opportunities –rural call centre, electronics assembly, rural marketing
and training.
©Nano Ganesh

Figure 52. Precise irrigation control

 89
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Economic and business opportunities

Additional income opportunities are created in the rural sector via Nano Ganesh such
as installation, repair, courier services, training and demonstrations. A new business
window has been generated for telecommunication companies.
Nano Ganesh activity is changing the life of the Base of the Pyramid through different
channels. Apart from the farmers, other members of society benefit either socially or
economically from use of the technology via new dealers’ networks, employment
opportunities (assembly line wok for women), delivery and repair services and so forth
Case studies
“Since we installed a Nano Ganesh mobile remote controller unit five years ago in our
village, we can control the pump from any location: house, market, banks, farm, etc.
Now our families can operate efficiently with a mobile phone. We save more than INR60
000 (US$1 000) every year on labour, water and petrol.” Ravindra Bhujbal, Nano Ganesh
owner from Sanaswadi, Shirur, Pune.

Mr Raghunath Patil Sonawane, farmer and water supplier

Pune, District Maharashtra State16
Mr Sonawane came to our office ten years ago wanting a mobile remote control for his
water pump very urgently, whatever the cost. Our engineers inquired about the reason
for the urgency. We were shocked to learn that he had lost his brother in an accident on
the highway en route to switch on his water pump. In fact, his brother had insisted about
purchasing our product for some time.
Site description: The source of water is near a river. The pipeline is installed along the
highway and the water is collected in a water tank. But when the water tank is full, the
source pump has to be visited by day or at night. It is hazardous during the rainy season
near the river. Much water is wasted owing to negligence in switching the pump off when
required. A motorcycle is used for such supervision.
After remote control installation (2004): After installing our technology, Mr Sonawane
stopped all trips to the pump. He could switch on/off his pump any time via his phone.
He saved considerable amounts of water and electricity. Also, on fuel and labour costs.
Mr Sonawane observed, “This is a boon for farmers; now I depend on remote control for
my irrigation activities. The system is easy to install and we do not have to rely on the
company’s technicians.”
16
To maintain the privacy of the users, all names have been changed.
90
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

An Unnamed Grampanchayat,17 Mawal, District, Pune, Maharashtra State

Site description: Grampanchayat water is pumped from a well to the overhead tank of
the village. The approach road to the water pump is through the forest and hilly area and
there is a fear of wild animals. Hence, the operators are scared to visit the water pump
starters at night. Often electrical power supply is available only at night, so an operator
needs to be accompanied by another person for safety reasons. The overhead tank must
be filled completely before 05:00 for water pressure in the distribution pipelines to be
adequate.
After Nano Ganesh installation (First Version 2003, Second version 2009): Mr Chavan, a
reputed electrical contractor from Talegaon region installed our system with telephonic
support from our company. Now, the same irrigation operator can control the water
pump from his house at night too. Thus he is fresh enough for water distribution work
in the morning.
Another crucial benefit is that water overflow is addressed instantly. As soon as the
overhead tank is full, an operator switches off the pump with his mobile phone
straightaway. If the operator is away, he can control the pump from elsewhere because
the remote control has virtually unlimited range.
Mr Chavan notes, “All the grampanchayats must install this system, as drinking water is
a precious asset which should be used very conservatively”.
An NGO in Orissa, Orissa State
Site description: This NGO has resettled a tribal village from the forest near to a local
village which is equipped with the basic facilities for standard living. However providing
enough water for the additional numbers of people was a significant issue and water had
to be lifted from a distant source in the forest. The approach road to the pump in the
forest was too narrow. Nobody was prepared to visit this site at night due to fear of
animals and the dark. Frequently electricity was available only at night. Hence, water
scarcity was a serious issue as the water pump needed human operation.
After Nano Ganesh installation (12 units for different water supply schemes in 2012):
Water distribution for different sites could be managed by a single person ensuring
adequate supply of water at the proper time. There was no need to visit the sites as this
could be accomplished remotely by the irrigation operator and money was saved on fuel
expenses.

17
Village organization.
 91
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Mr Subhash Jadhav, a farmer with an artificial right leg, Beed District, Maharashtra State
Mr Jadhav was a formerly dynamic farmer whose water pump was about 1 km away
from his field. But after an accident and loss of his leg, he was unable to carry out
farming irrigation and had to depend on somebody else to control his water pumps. He
also had to visit the hospital for leg therapy. His son was studying in the nearby town and
was anxious about his father’s condition. He went to the village to support his father but
fretted about his career as well.
After Nano Ganesh installation (2009): His son can control the pump from the town too.
His father can also control the pump from any location (for instance from the hospital).
In this case, Nano Ganesh also managed to help a family with personal issues.
Mr Prakash Patel, a progressive farmer with a banana plantation, Jalgaon District, Ma-
harashtra State
Site description: Mr Patel once faced the problem of flooding on his farm for four to five
days every fortnight. Despite ample water and electricity, sometimes he could not access
the starter panel, as it was totally surrounded by water to a depth of 4 feet. So he used
to run the pumps continuously with the help of automatic switches. Whenever power
supply was available, the pumps functioned. But this led to huge wastage of water and
electricity. Thus he had to use a small boat. Sometimes his assistant used to swim to the
site to operate the starters. This case exemplifies the flooding problem that occurs in the
backwater zones all over India in dam areas.
After installation of Nano Ganesh (2004): Mr Patel is now ecstatic as he has ample water
and electricity and remote control over the pumps.

©Nano Ganesh

Figure 53. Advocacy of ICT at rural exhibitions

92
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

The strategy for expansion – the way forward

Nano Ganesh has proven that ICT tools can be effectively implemented in the agriculture
sector.
The pioneering work of Nano Ganesh has revealed the scope of various technologies and
business models suitable for specific areas. The basic version of Nano Ganesh focused
on solving the root problems of the farmer at the individual level. Advanced models
can use Cloud and other technologies and hence the vast knowledge resources of the
telecommunication and software sectors can been tapped for enhancing the overall
system.
There are two business models for ICT in the agriculture sector:
Traditional: Individual modems sold to individual customers through specific
distribution networks. This business model addresses traditional farmers who buy ICT
tools from the nearest available outlet, supported by trained technicians. The products
are manufactured locally in-country by local businesses that can be backstopped by
international institutions.
Cloud technology for water pumps in the rural sector: Computation and analytics are
possible with various telecommunication platforms. This business model can be driven
by the government and international institutions on a larger scale for a country or a
region. One state in India has declared Nano Ganesh as one of the major m-Governance™
initiatives as a strategy for addressing rural sector resources efficiently and effectively.
The Nano Ganesh team has plans to serve as a catalyst for implementation of ICT for
water pumps successfully on a global level. According to the Nano Ganesh team, expertise
can be disseminated to local manufacturers for effective demonstration, installation and
support services related to the technology.

Figure 54. Analytics of water pumps possible

 93
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

Conclusion
In countries like India, where agriculture is central to the national economy, adequate
irrigation is crucial and the water pump is a core component. Nano Ganesh is
committed to providing mobile connections for farmers and their families to
enhance their quality of life. Despite the plethora of other developments in urban and
industrial sectors, it is our duty to empower farmerswho bring food to our tables.
It is the duty of international organizationsto ensure that water, fuel and electricity in the
irrigation sector (as well as elsewhere) are conserved to the fullest extent possible and
wastage is avoided; this can be accomplished by helping farmers to adopt effective
ICT tools like Nano Ganesh.

©Dy Sherwin
94
Success stories on information and communication technologies for agriculture and rural development

©Giuseppe Bizzarri
For information of this publication please contact:
Gerard Sylvester
Knowledge and Information Management Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (+66) 2 697 4000, Fax: (+66) 2 697 4445