Falcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business Growth
003 khailu
1. Reaching Out and Listening to Farmers: the Case of NAIS Internet
Based SMS Platform
Darlington Kahilu
Agricultural Information Officer/Programme Producer
National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS)
Lusaka, Zambia
Email: dakahilu@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract
Farmers in Zambia, like elsewhere in Africa, are faced with problems of how to access
timely and up-to-date technical agricultural information to help them improve their
productivity. This is mainly due to, among other reasons, a lack of adequate frontline
agricultural extension officers in farming communities, a poor flow of information to and
from farmers, and inadequate communication between research institutions and
extension services. With the increased use of information and communication tools
such as mobile phones, it is now possible for farmers in rural and remote areas to be
reached by mobile telephone and have access to up-to-date information at any given
time. Therefore, in 2007, the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) opted to
use information and technology-based solutions to improve feedback to and from
farmers in Zambia. This led to the development of an Internet-based platform, launched
in 2011, that allows farmers to ask questions using Short Message Service (SMS)
available on mobile telephones and receive answers within the shortest time possible.
1.0 Introduction
Farmers in Zambia with any agricultural question including issues to do with climate
change can now receive quick answers via SMS from a new system developed by
National Agricultural Information services. This approach allows farmers to use their
mobile phones to send questions directly to the radio programme producers in the
language they are conversant with and receive answers in real time.
The project, entitled “Strengthening the Agricultural Information Flow and Dissemination
System of the National Agricultural Information Services In Zambia (SAIFADIS)“ is a
2. collaborative project between the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) and
the International Institute of Communication and Development (IICD). NAIS is
specialised agricultural information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
(MAL). The main role of NAIS is to support the extension services of the ministry
through the dissemination of agricultural information to all players in the agricultural
sector, particularly the rural communities.
NAIS is mandated to gather, process, package, store and disseminate information
through the use of radio, television, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, publications
and audio-visual teaching aids.
The NAIS, as part of agricultural extension service in Zambia, forms a link between the
researchers and the farmers. Innovations and findings coming from the researchers are
gathered, processed and disseminated to the farmers in a form that is easily
comprehended. Farmers’ concerns and the manner in which they adopt the
technologies are also relayed to the researchers, who in turn respond with appropriate
innovations. The project was therefore, introduced to NAIS in order to improve the
internal flow of information within NAIS and the external flow of agricultural information
between sources and the end-users. The approach adopted was to increase the
efficiency of NAIS, with the use of modern information and communication tools (word-
processing, email, Internet access, etc.) to gather, process, store, package and
disseminate information in order to increase farmers’ productivity.
The first phase of the project focused on four main areas, namely; (1) hardware, (2)
mainstreaming of the project activities within NAIS, (3) Information management, and
(4) Information sharing.
This paper highlights the implementation status during the first phase and describes
some of the main activities being undertaken from the year 2010 and beyond.
2.0 Background
The agricultural sector generates an average of 23 percent, according to the Food and
Agricultural Organisation (FAO), of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is a major
source of livelihood for over 50% of the country’s population. Fifty percent of the
3. population depend on agricultural-related activities for income and food for their
livelihood (Ministry of Finance and National Planning, May 2002).
The sector absorbs about 67% of the labour force and remains the main source of
income and employment for most rural women who constitute 65% of the total rural
population (Ministry of finance and National Planning, May 2002; World Development
Report 2000/2001). However, it is estimated that only 14 % of total agricultural land is
currently being utilized. Zambia therefore, has the potential to expand agricultural
production given the vast resource endowment in terms of land, labour and water that
the country possesses. Of Zambia’s total land area of 75 million hectares, 58% is
classified as medium to high potential for agricultural production, with rainfall ranging
from 800 mm to 1400 mm annually.
Table 1: 2010/2011 Crop Forecast Survey Area, Production, Yield, Expected Estimates
Area
expected to
Crops: National Small & Medium only Number of Area be
hh growing planted harvested
this crop (ha) (ha)
Maize
1,274,846 1,311,530 1,058,510
Sorghum
48,139 25,867 21,479
Rice
64,272 33,995 27,496
Finger Millet
113,991 42,597 39,215
Sunflower
84,810 39,638 35,701
Groundnuts
654,585 223,298 208,452
Soyabeans
46,015 20,060 19,029
Seed Cotton
151,650 131,292 124,569
Irish Potatoes
4,143 938 901
Virginia Tobacco
9,087 7,496 7,421
Burley Tobacco
19,961 10,046 9,460
Mixed Beans
190,248 69,923 66,655
Bambara nuts
39,517 5,750 5,621
Cowpeas
8,214 1,942 1,853
4. Velvet Beans
164 63 63
Coffee
154 29 29
Sweet Potatoes
173,835 45,059 42,941
Other Crops
343 123 123
Paprika
313 81 81
Pineapple
135 64 64
Popcorn
5,357 3,275 2,954
Sugar Cane
288 99 99
Source: Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock and The Central
Statistical Office
Despite its potential, the agricultural sector in Zambia has performed below
expectations. One of the factors that have been repeatedly mentioned as responsible
for this dismal performance has to do with the weak linkages between agricultural
researchers, extensionists and the farmers. This and other factors, have led to low
productivity, especially among small-scale farmers.
Extension and information service provision plays an important role in agricultural
development in any country. In recognition of this fact, the Zambian government has,
since independence in 1964, made an effort to establish an effective extension and
information system in the country. The overall objective of this information provision
service is to provide information to farmers so that they can make informed decisions
that will improve their production and productivity in order to reduce poverty through
income generation and food security (Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries,
February 2001). Up until now, the extension-information provision has been done
through person-to-person (farmer-extension officer) contact and mass media. The
extension officers are the front line implementers of the extension system of Ministry of
Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) extension system. However, these officers are few on
the ground, over-stretched and often de-motivated. It is currently estimated that there is
an average of one officer to 1,000 farmers (National Agricultural Information Services,
September 2002). This, coupled with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, has led to radical
5. reductions in the already small number of person-to-person extension and information
services being offered. Notwithstanding situation, extension officers of the Department
of Agriculture remain a critical link in the information chain between researchers and
farmers.
3.0 Radio and broadcasting services for farmers in Zambia
Zambia has long track-record of providing agricultural information services through the
use of mass media such as radio and television broadcasts and printed materials
including newspapers, in parallel with the mainstream extension services it offers.
Broadcasting services of agricultural radio programs which target local small-scale
farmers were initiated as early as the mid-1960s with financial and technical assistance
from UNESCO. Radio listening groups called ‘Radio Farm Forum Groups” were set up
in rural communities all over the country and farmers were encouraged to listen to the
radio programs with the motto of ‘Listen, Discuss and Act”. Since then, the Zambian
Government has continued to produce agricultural radio programs through NAIS,
although direct assistance of the Government to the listening farmer groups, such as
free provision of radio sets and batteries, has largely been withdrawn. NAIS also
remains engaged in producing agricultural TV programs, publishing of magazines,
newsletters and posters to provide the farming communities as well as other
stakeholders with various kinds of agricultural information.
Figure 1: Basic Element/Components in an Agricultural Extension System
6. The current extension methodology, known as the Participatory Extension Approach
(PEA), is about the improvement of the information services to the people and the
extension officers in particular.
3.1 Organization of Radio Farm Forums:
To come-up with formidable farmer listening groups, National Agricultural Information
Services (NAIS) used group dynamics, where farmers were given the chance to decide
and form a common interest group (radio listening). These groups were allowed to have
a membership of between Ten (10) and Twenty Five (25) of men, women and youths.
This number of membership was recommended to enhance good radio listening.
After forming a group, the members were democratically, allowed to chose their
executive. The groups were given a radio set by the government, through which they
would listen to agricultural programmes and other developmental programmes. The
government also provided these groups with batteries on monthly basis. As the
communities kept growing, creating more demand for such groups, NAIS officers had
the mandate to form new ones in such communities.
The farmer groups were also allowed to propose and choose topics of their felt needs
which they wanted to listen to on radio. In the same vein, the farmers were also allowed
to discuss a topic of their choice and have it recorded for on-ward delivery to the NAIS
HQ for broadcast, so as to allow other farmer groups listen and learn from them.
This worked on the principle of letting farmers listen and learn from their fellow farmers,
whom they would easily identify themselves with, instead of listening agricultural
specialists only.
3.2 How do Radio Farm Forums work?
The standard process works as follows: At Radio Farm Forum (RFF) level, farmers
gather and listen to agricultural technical information broadcasted via the radio. After the
broadcast, the RFF members discuss the topic which they have listened to and relate it
to their local situation. As a group, they ask each member how well he or she has
understood the broadcast.
After the discussions, farmers fill in a feedback report form, commonly referred to as a
Proceedings and Discussion Report. The main features of this form are: name of the
forum, district, province, date of broadcast, subject/topic of broadcast, main points
raised on the programme, questions raised by members on the subject of broadcast,
7. decisions taken by members on the subject, actions taken by members on previous
broadcasts, and members’ opinion about the quality of the programme.
After farmers have filled in the Proceedings and Discussion Report form, where
possible, it is handed over to the Camp Agricultural Extension Officer (CAEO) for
onward delivery to the District Agricultural Information Officer (DAIO) who then posts the
discussion report form to the Radio Programme Producer at national level.
Where the agricultural camp is not manned, the farmers have to post the discussion
report themselves or physically deliver the report to the District Agricultural Information
Officer (DAIO).
Once these various radio broadcasts are disseminate to the listening groups, NAIS
relies on receiving feedback from the farmers to come up with new information products
that answer the concerns of the farmers.
3.3 Drawbacks with the ‘old’ system
This system of communication proved to be time-consuming and costly on the part of
the farmers as in most cases it took more than two months for farmers to give feedback
on the questions that were asked during each broadcast or any other urgent problem
faced by the farmers.
Over the years, NAIS has been gathering agricultural information from different sources
for onward delivery to the farming community. The department has also spent many
years packaging the information in form of Radio and TV programmes and Print
materials.
These information products have been made available to farmers and extension officers
in the remote parts of the country. In the meantime, NAIS has continued to receive
feed-back from farmers on the programmes aired.
Despite its mandate, NAIS encountered many difficulties in its efforts to efficiently
collect and deliver agricultural information from original sources to the end users –
information gathering is done by getting the responsible officers travel directly to the
sources. Alternatively, information packages are passed on via third party in hard copy.
Information products such as audio cassettes, question and answer feedback forms,
publications etc, have been delivered from districts to the Office Headquarters (HQ)
8. through ordinary postal services and members of staff travelling between the two points.
However, these methods have proved costly and entail longer delivery periods.
Moreover, there has been no systemic storage and retrieval system set up for the
information NAIS has gathered over these years. Nor has there has been any
centralised information access point for farmers and other stakeholders such as
extension offices in form of information resource centres.
All the above shortcomings within NAIS have resulted in farmers failing to receive the
information they require at the right time and in the right format.
4.0 Establishment of the ICTs project in NAIS
Following the Siavonga Roundtable discussions in October 2002 in Zambia, the
National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) came up with the idea of setting up
Farmer Information Centres. However, during discussions between NAIS and various
stakeholders, it was realised that though the setting up of information centres was
important, these would not be workable without NAIS headquarters information
coordination being;
a) Efficient- Reducing duplication of efforts by the sections under NAIS (Press and
Public Relations, Publications and Broadcasting) and;
b) Effective- Ensuring that agricultural messages are consistent and reinforcing
across sections under NAIS.
Furthermore, recent studies done by NAIS with the support from Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), on its information services and programming have
indicated a clear need to strengthen information provision at district level.
Therefore it was agreed that the idea should move away from setting up rural
information centres to strengthening NAIS HQ and district level offices and staff, and
building on the existing NAIS and agricultural structures to ensure improved collection
and dissemination of required information to and from farmers and extension staff. This
entailed;
i) Streamlining the information flow among NAIS sections and other MAL
departments;
9. ii) Improving the coordination of information activities and;
iii) Enhancing the ability of NAIS to collect, process, and disseminate information
to and from farmers and other sector stakeholders;
Strengthening the ability of NAIS to provide information to the agricultural community,
especially extension workers and farmers, is important because agriculture is currently
the mainstay of the Zambian economy and its growth will in turn help in poverty
reduction.
4.1 Objectives
4.1.1 Development objective
The development objective is to improve small-scale farmers’ livelihoods in agriculture
by improving the flow of information between researchers, extension providers, service
providers and farmers. This should lead to increased food production and crop exports,
which in turn will result in improved food security and higher agricultural incomes at
household level among the small-scale farmers.
Through the improved information flow within the NAIS and between the original
sources of information and the end users, the project will also contribute to two United
Nations Millennium Goals on poverty and the environment, namely:
On poverty, to reduce by 50% the number of the people whose income is less
than one dollar per day and consequently to reduce by 50% the number of
people who suffer from hunger by the year 2015
On the environment, to integrate the principles of sustainable development into
the country’s agricultural policies and programmes; the project will lead to
reduced processes of environmental degradation due to improved soil and water
management, safer use of pesticides and less indiscriminate cutting down of
trees.
10. 4.2 Overall objectives
The project objective is to improve information flow within the NAIS and the flow of
agricultural information between sources and end users by increasing the efficiency of
the NAIS to gather, process, store, package and disseminate information in order to
increase farmers’ productivity.
4.2.1 Specific objectives are:
1. Improve information flow within the NAIS
2. Strengthen linkages between agricultural researchers, extension officers, farmers
and other stakeholders;
3. Increase the capacity of the NAIS to collect, process, package, store and
disseminate agricultural information;
4. Increase capacity of the NAIS to publish in more accurate and appropriate
formats.
5.0 Achievements
The achievements of the project during the pilot phase of implementation will now be
discussed within the context of the four main components;
5.1 Component 1: Hardware
The project managed to procure and install all the ICT equipment. This equipment
include four desktop computers for the Head Office in Lusaka and three desktop
computers for the district offices in Kasama, along with two scanners, two Laser jet
printers, two digital recorders, two digital cameras, one LCD projector, one Modem,
software programmes and other accessories. The project also managed to install a
VSAT in Kasama. Additional computers have subsequently been procured by the NAIS
in order to ensure that each and every technical officer in the department has a work
station.
5.2 Component 2: Mainstreaming of Project Activities in NAIS
A number of activities were undertaken in order to mainstream some of the project
activities within NAIS so that they become part and parcel of NAIS’ daily office routine.
11. In addition to the computers that were procured through the project, the NAIS has
continued procuring computers for its members of staff to the extent that every producer
has his/her own work-station. Focus group meetings and workshops were also held in
order to create awareness in NAIS and MAL of the benefits that ICTs can bring. A
number of training courses on the use of ICTs were also conducted to boost the skills of
NAIS staff. One very positive development is that the Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock, through the NAIS, has now incorporated the cost the ICT equipment in its
annual budget. In addition, the NAIS project has also managed to set up an ICT
Steering Committee jointly with the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI).
5.3 Component 3: Information Management
This component of the project aimed at improving the NAIS information management
system, particularly processing and re-packaging information coming from research
institutions and other sources so that it could be easily accessed and used by extension
officers and end users. The first step involved establishing formal linkages with some of
the key organizations in the sector, such as the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute
(ZARI), the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU), and the Swedish Cooperative
Centre (SCC), extension staff, CTA, WREN media, and others. The project also
improved information flows internally within NAIS, notably between NAIS office in
Lusaka and NAIS’ Kasama offices.
5.4 Component 4: Information Sharing
The project tremendously improved NAIS’ information management system, particularly
in processing and re-packaging information coming from research and other sources to
extension and end-users by:
Establishment of formal linkages with the ZARI, Department of Veterinary and
Livestock Development (DVLD), ZNFU, SCC, Radio Mano (Kasama), extension
officers and four farmers’ groups in Kasama.
Managing to send and receive relevant information between the NAIS offices in
Kasama and Lusaka in form of Discussion reports, booklets, books and
electronic messages.
12. Creating a database and storing information using the Win SCP information
storage system.
On a quarterly basis, monitoring and evaluating project performance through
planning and review meetings in the project sites.
6.0 Activities that were not achieved
Despite scoring all of the above achievements, the project fell short of successfully
attaining the following activities:
Capturing audio information from farmers and agricultural technology specialists
by the DAIO and information officers at HQ using audio recording machine for
localized transmission on Radio Mano, a community station in Kasama. This was
not successfully achieved partly because of the cost of airtime. However,
arrangements are underway to involve the local stakeholders in finding ways to
share the costs.
Timely responses to questions and feedback coming from farmers and other
stakeholders. The continued sending of discussion reports and the airing of radio
programmes from Lusaka made it difficult to quickly address the needs of the
farmers in the pilot area since the producers at HQ had to also satisfy the needs
of all the farmers.
Finding support to implement and maintain the project. This activity was not
adequately addressed in the sense that much as many policy-makers have been
convinced of the project’s potential and resources needed to implement it, no
single donor has expressed willingness to support and help maintain the project.
7.0 Constraints
Although the project had greater achievements in meeting the objectives, a number
of constraints resulted in it not reaching some of its desired objectives. Some of
these constraints included:
13. Delays in procuring project equipment and implementation through the
sluggish government procurement system.
Slow and frequent breakdown of the internet connection in Lusaka and
Kasama.
Lack of experience within the NAIS and among Subject Matter Specialists in
the use of ICTs slowed down progress on improving information flow.
Omission of a budget line for the cost of production and broadcasting radio
programmes through the community radio station (Radio Mano) based in
Kasama.
8.0 Proposed Future activities
The project has continued pursuing the same overall and specific objectives as stated
above. In addition to achieving most of the unfulfilled activities, the project has identified
the following issues that will require attention in the future:
Identify stakeholders in Kasama and other towns where community radio stations
exist who can support the production and broadcasting of agricultural
programmes on community radio stations.
Explore the possibility of using mobile phones in the create feedback mechanism
that would shorten the flow of information between farmers, extension workers
and researchers.
Improve the rural information centres in the four pilot areas of Kasama.
Improve the process of sending and receiving relevant information between
Kasama and Lusaka.
Increase on the number partners in the project.
Continue monitoring the performance and impact of the project, particularly how
it is helping to improve the livelihoods of the farmers in the pilot areas.
14. Provide computer and Internet connectivity to the Provincial Agricultural
Information Officer (PAIO) who is a supervisor to the DAIO so that he or she is
regularly updated about the project.
9.0 Justification for the extension of the project
The reasons for the proposal to extend the funding period of the project are as follows:
(1) Smallholder farmers in the project area and the rest of the country are not getting
feedback on time.
(2) The number of smallholder farmers owning mobile phones in Zambia has
continued to grow over the years.
(3) The project has not adequately developed an information store tool. The current
one needs to be fully developed and supported by all officers who are still
learning how to use the facility.
(4) More awareness on the use of ICTs in NAIS and MAL needs to be created
through more seminars and brochures.
(5) Established formal linkages between ZARI, NAIS, Extension and Farmers
through which information has been exchanged for the benefit of the end users
needs to be strengthened.
(6) The internet slowness and subsequent breakdown in connectivity hampered the
project implementation.
(7) The project has finally developed an Internet based platform feedback
mechanism using the mobile phone that would improve the flow of information
between farmers, researchers, extension officers and NAIS.
(8) The project has embarked on the programmes of incorporating other
stakeholders through partnerships that would help support and maintain the
project in the future.
15. (9) The project has put in place modalities that would enable timely responses to
questions and feedback coming from the farmers and other stakeholders.
Through the use of ICTs, NAIS has been able to gather, process, package, store and
disseminate information between research, extension officers, farmers and other
stakeholders – thereby strengthening the linkages between them. Information products
have continued to be collected and delivered online from the original sources to the
end- users – both on time and in the appropriate formats.
Through this project, NAIS has ensured that agricultural information products are
processed and stored using appropriate ICTs (for example, CD-ROM, Database, etc).
Using ICTs, NAIS members of staff are now be able to research for agricultural
information technologies that are or may not be available locally.
10.0 Phase II of the project – SMS Internet Based Platform
In today’s world, information and communication technology (ICT) contributes to many
innovations. However, and perhaps more importantly, it challenges all of us to think out
of the box in order to come up with new, fast and effective ways to get hold of the
information we need to stabilize, and even enhance, our livelihoods. The SMS system
deployed by NAIS and developed by SMSize, with support from IICD, is an excellent
example of this. It is an eloquent solution to an age-old problem: namely, getting timely
and accurate information and advice to farmers and extension workers in the rural areas
in their own local languages.
As mentioned earlier, despite its potential, the agricultural sector in Zambia continues to
perform below expectations. One of the factors that has been repeatedly mentioned as
responsible for this dismal performance has been the weak linkages between
agricultural researchers, extension officers and farmers, as all the groups tend to
operate in relative isolation.
However, this could gradually become a thing of the past as Zambian farmers are now
starting to use their mobile phones to send questions about the day-to-day problems
they face in carrying out their farming activities to the relevant experts and in turn,
receive answers to their questions – in their own local languages - within the shortest
16. time possible. An undertaking which in the past, could take weeks, or might not be
realised at all.
10.1 The growth of Zambia’s mobile phone service
One sub sector that has grown by leaps and bounds is the mobile phone service. In the
late 1990s when the cell phone ‘craze’ invaded Zambia, having a mobile phone was a
sign of affluence and sophistication. Today, things have changed with almost every third
person you meet on the street ‘brandishing’ a phone. Mobile phone subscribers
currently number around 5 million (with Airtel Zambia, the country’s leading mobile
provider accounting for 3 million. Airtel is a leading telecommunications mobile operator
servicing over 50 million customers in 22 countries across the Middle East and Africa,
creating the world’s first borderless mobile service (dubbed ‘One Network’) across two
continents. The company operates in all the 72 districts of the country, a feat yet to be
matched. MTN, the second largest mobile phone service provider (dubbed the fastest
growing) is also a force to reckon with, currently expanding its network to rope in more
subscribers while Zamtel in the recent past signed a multi-million dollar contract with
ZTE of China to expand its GSM network.
With financial and technical support from the International Institute of Communication
for Development (IICD), the department of National Agricultural Information Services
(NAIS) has developed an Internet-based platform where farmers are able to use mobile
phones and send questions on the most pressing problems they are faced with in their
farming activities to NAIS and receive appropriate answers within the shortest time
possible.
This SMsize platform allows farmers to send their questions on mobile phones in form
of SMS messages to the platform and receive answers to their questions.
The platform will be accessed by NAIS programme producers and agricultural
specialists and other identified stakeholders so as to give appropriate answers to the
farmers’ questions.
Now that the platform has been finalized and is operational, the system will help
improve the feedback system between farmers, programme producers and the
17. agricultural specialists in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and other relevant
agricultural institutions in the country.
10.2 How the platform works
Using their mobile phones, farmers need to do the following: Go into the message pad
and type NAIS, language code leave space, ask your question and send to 3009.
Apart from English, farmers will be able to use the service in all the seven major local
languages namely Bemba, Kaonde, Lunda, Luvale, Lozi, Nyanja and Tonga.
The language codes are EN for English, BE for Bemba, KA for Kaonde, LU for Lunda,
LV for Luvale, NY for Nyanja, LO for Lozi and TO for Tonga. Codes can be sent either
in capital letters or small letters.
The system is currently only available to Airtel subscribers; however, the system will be
available to all networks in due course.
Each SMS on the system costs 900 Zambian Kwacha (US$ 0.18) and this will reduce
the current expenses farmers are incurring to post or send their discussion report forms
for possible solutions to their farming problems.
However, this SMS cost of K900 is on the higher side and initiatives by the department
have been made to request the Zambia Information and Communications Technology
Authority (ZICTA) help waiver this rate by allocating NAIS with a short-code so as to
enable more farmers have easy and cheaper access to the platform.
Figure 2: Screen shot of the SMS Platform Figure 3: Screen shot of the inbox of the platform
18. 10.3 Piloting the SMS messaging platform
The platform has been tried out with farmers’ groups in Kasama district of Northern
Province of Zambia (pilot area) located about 900 Km from Lusaka.
Farmers were happy with the new platform and they see it as a tool that will help them
bridge the existing disconnect between them and agricultural experts.
The SMsize platform was in October 2011, introduced and demonstrated to the
Permanent Secretary and all the Directors in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
The idea behind this demonstration was to create awareness and allow policy makers in
the ministry see how it works and so as to have management buy-in.
Management was excited with this system and the Permanent Secretary feels that the
system has been developed at the right time, as his Ministry is currently faced with a
serious challenge of having to deal with an extreme shortage of frontline extension
officers. The Ministry has therefore, promised to support the project by lobbing for
cheaper rates for farmers to send their SMSs, which are currently pegged at K900.00
(US$ 0.18); a high price which would prove unsustainable for farmers to continue
paying in the long term.
The combination of traditional and modern ICT in the NAIS project, specifically radio
and SMS messaging, makes for a compelling argument to use both these powerful
technologies. In so doing, it has served as an inspiring example for farmers and
extension workers throughout the country. The information requests that NAIS receives
from Zambia’s farmers enables the NAIS radio broadcasters to track and trace the
questions that are coming up regularly, and see clearly what is happening in agriculture
and rural development in different parts of the country at any fixed moment in time. This
is another added benefit of the NAIS SMS-messaging system. An added benefit is that
“frequently asked questions” can later be used to determine the themes of the radio
programmes that NAIS broadcasts, and ultimately contribute to agricultural research.
This ICT initiative illustrates how ICT can be easily adapted and fine-tuned to respond to
the needs of the farmer. Therefore, let us learn from NAIS’s experiences - from the
19. successes and challenges along the way - so that all of us who work in agriculture can
begin using ICT as a catalyst to achieve our own development goals in the agricultural
sector.
11.0 Government support is key.
Nevertheless, for systems like these to succeed and be sustained they need the support
of government. The Zambian government is therefore in the best position to take the
lead in this initiative and drive it forward. We have therefore request ZICTA to consider
waiving the fees for this particular programme so that information is no longer a cost
factor for the target groups; small-scale farmers.
The beauty of ICT is that it can assist in achieving development goals on an
unprecedented scale, quickly and cost-effectively. We therefore urge you to join us in
exploring ways in which ICT can further accelerate development in the agriculture
sector. It is our fervent hope that decision-makers and policy-makers will come to
realize the lasting benefits that ICT-enabled development can bring. Today we get a
glimpse of how ICT can be used – simply and effectively – to assist Zambia’s farmers.
12.0 Conclusion
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a key input for economic
development and growth as they offer opportunities for national and global integration
while retaining the identity of our traditional societies.
In the agricultural sector, ICTs are beginning to increase the economic and social well-
being of some smallholder farmers, individuals and communities.
With the introduction and better use of ICTs in the agricultural and fisheries sectors, we
will enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of the public sector service
delivery.
Studies undertaken by the Ministry under the Department of National Agricultural
Information Services provide a useful framework for clustering ICTs interventions in the
agricultural sector in terms of their relationship with different aspects of the problem of
rural poverty, poor agricultural sector performance, low productivity and low farm
incomes.
20. As a sector, we call for enhanced public private partnership initiatives in promotion of
ICTs in all agricultural sub-sectors to address issues of improving knowledge flows and
policy environment in the sector.
This will increase the economic viability of farm enterprises by increasing profitable
market access and production efficiency, increasing the political empowerment and
social inclusion of rural communities.
Finally, I wish to reiterate that Zambia cannot afford to lag behind in the use of ICTs in
agriculture. It is my sincere belief that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in
Zambia will continue to support ICT initiatives aimed at facilitating growth in the
agricultural sector.
Let us all work together to explore ITC uses in agriculture further and use it to bring us
closer to achieving food security, a greener economy, and economic success.
“Investment in agricultural ICTs, is investment in the country’s economy”.
References:
1. IICD, project proposal (2006) Strengthening the agricultural information
flow and dissemination system of the national Agricultural Information
Services in Zambia: The Hague.
2. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (April 2004) Agriculture and
Cooperatives final draft policy, Lusaka: Zambia.
3. Rural information services, (1986) Annual report, Ministry of and Water
Development, Lusaka, Zambia.
4. Information and Communication Technologies Act No.15 of 2009
5. The Central Statistics Office of Zambia (2010)
6. Welcome to Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, Researching Soils,
Crops and Water in Zambia.
http://www.zari.gov.zm
7. Millennium Development Goals
http://www.developmentgoals.org/index.html
8. Clare O’Farrell, Pat Norrish and Nigel Scott, (1999) ICTs for Sustainable
Livelihoods,
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/irdd
9. Simon Batchelor and Clare O’Farrell, (March 2009) Revisiting the “Magic
Box” – Guiding principles for ICT interventions.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y5106e/y5106e05.htm
