ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATION IN MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES
INTRODUCTION
Information technology can be defined as the diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, disseminate, store, and manage information. These technologies include computers, internet, and network hardware and software, satellite systems, broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and telephony (land lines and cellular). As well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as web portals, email, SMS, videoconferencing, etc. In short information technology is helpful to communicate the knowledge
In agriculturally based developing countries like India cannot ignore agriculture in such transformation. Information technology refers to how we use information, compute and communicate information to the people. The role of information technology is, users need with the right information, in right form, in right time. The generation and application of agricultural knowledge is progressively important, particularly for small and marginal farmers, who require relevant information in order to improve, sustain, and diversify their farm enterprises.
Telecommunications responsible for managing agriculture and the production of food in the developing world can use telecom applications to help deal with the problems facing them. To produce adequate food for ever-increasing numbers of mouths will demand the adoption and appreciation of new production methods, sustainable for the foreseeable future, by all those who work in agriculture and agricultural planning. Information and communication technologies are proposed as essential tools to disseminate the knowledge and information needed by workers in agriculture to improve the production processes. Telecommunications also provide vital tools for planners and administrators in the agriculture and food sectors
OBJECTIVES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TOWARDS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MARKETING:
To increase the amount of information provided to all participants in agricultural sector and to decrease the cost of disseminating the information. to bring farmers ,researchers, scientists, and administrators together by establishing “agricultural online” through exchange of ideas and information.
Need of information technology in agricultural production and marketing:
Information technology can be applied particularly in the social and economic areas where it can effectively facilitate social and economic development of the Indian agrarian community
However, the rural population in our country still has difficulties in accessing crucial information in the form they can understand in order to make timely decisions for better farming information technology in generating possibilities to solve such problems of different categories of end users.
For this purpose electronic communications infrastructure need to be established in the country.
STRENGTHENING THE INFORMATION ECONOMY OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
Raising the productivity of smallholders is a necessary condition for increasing incomes and improving livelihoods among the rural poor in most developing countries. This increased productivity is essential to both household food security and to agriculture-based growth and poverty reduction in the larger economy. Smallholder productivity is limited by a variety of constraints including poor soils, unpredictable rainfall, and imperfect markets, as well as lack of access to productive resources, financial services, or infrastructure. It is also critically limited, for example, by lack of information about market prices, available crop varieties, production techniques, and methods of disease management— information that pertains specifically to local conditions. Smallholders also lack timely information sources such
as news reports or early warning communications about weather, pest outbreaks, and other seasonal risks, and about services that could help address them. The smallholder agricultural economy is in crucial ways an information and service economy. The physical isolation of smallholders imposes high information costs that compound the high transport and transaction costs of obtaining inputs and marketing outputs. Improving the information, communication, transaction, and networking resources available to farmers—and to the markets, organizations, and institutions they interact with—is essential to making smallholder agriculture more productive. The appropriate deployment and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is central to this improvement. Information and communication technologies are also vitally important to commercial and large-scale agriculture, and to agriculture-related services and infrastructure such as weather monitoring and irrigation. This note focuses on the sometimes less-obvious importance of ICT in improving the information, communication, transaction, and networking elements of smallholder agriculture in developing countries.
LINKING FARMERS TO CHANGING URBAN AND GLOBAL MARKETS
Consumption patterns among urban populations are changing and generally diversifying. Demand for meat, fish, dairy, horticultural, and processed products in particular is increasing. Here too, ICT can play an important role in enabling smallholders to produce high-value commodities and to capitalize on opportunities to participate in these markets. Supply chains leading to these urban and global markets are highly integrated, and require timely information and impose exacting quality standards. ICT can be instrumental in improving smallholders’ access to information about these markets and what is required to produce for them. It can also greatly facilitate networking among smallholders, and provide new ways to communicate with institutions that are involved in carrying out transactions in these markets.
Information technology for agricultural production and marketing:
Information technology is playing an important and vital role in agricultural production and marketing. Information technology allows farmers to save time on orders and delivery and getting feedback.
1. The generation and application of agricultural knowledge is increasingly important, especially for small and marginal farmers, who need relevant information in order to improve, sustain, and diversify their farm enterprises.
2. Agriculture can require substantial knowledge transfer to farmer and among farmers, including information about successful farming practices, new technologies or controls of pest and disease outbreaks, and new markets
3. ITs can directly support farmers access to timely and relevant information, as well as empower the sharing of knowledge of the farming community itself
4. Farmers crop database must be managed. The data base includes the kinds of crops, the size of cultivated area , time of harvest and yield. Farmers of the extension personnel transmit those data via the internet to data base server. Further information provides the farmer with an important instrument for decision making and taking action.
5. Crops information service system should be created. This system analyzes the crop data to create some statistical tables. Farmers can access these statistical data by browsing the home page and make their production plan .
6. This very technology may also be used when it comes to marketing or advertising a certain product or service. Information technology is helping this industry to improve its performance by bringing more sales and profit to their companies.
Important Agencies, Models, Initiatives, Projects of the Agricultural Marketing Information networks:
Major recommendation to improve agricultural production and marketing through information technology:
1. Information Technology for timely market and weather information is key to development in the farming sector. We should tailor our rural Information Technology Policies according to our requirements.
2. There is a need for Integrated Website for all agencies, of both State and Central Government, involved in Agricultural marketing services using ICT like APEDA, APMCs, CWC, SWCs, CACP, CCI, DMI, FCI, JCI, KVKs, MPEDA, NAFED, TRIFED, NCDC, NDDB,NHB, SAMBs etc.
3. Establishment of AGMARKNET Nodes at KVKs and Panchayats and computerization of all mandies/ APMCs.
4. Wholesale markets should have WiMAX based Internet Hubs.
5. There is a need for greater synergy between extension services and market.
6. Tele density in rural areas continues to be low, increase in tele-density as an important component of infrastructure development should be taken up.
7. Arrangements should be made to introduce electronic scientific grading of agricultural commodities in the markets or for a cluster of markets
Agency / Project
Activity Description
India
AGMARKNET
Launched, in March 2000, linking important agricultural produce markets, the State Agriculture Marketing Boards & Directorates. It provides information on agriculture products, their prices, arrivals, availability, trends, analysis, laws, etc. Currently, AGMARKNET Covers 2900 markets all over the country and display of information of 400 commodities on daily basis in ten languages, linking all important APMCs in India Marketing Channel — PPP initiative Public-Partner- Participation concept
State Agricultural Marketing Boards
SAMB
SAMB Gives sustainable development of agriculture that improves the quality of life of the rural population Identifies location of markets for connectivity under the Directorates of Marketing Scheme based on importance of the market in commodity flow patterns
India
Kisan Call Centre
The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India launched Kisan Call Centers in 2004 in. every state to deliver extension services and marketing information The Queries related to agriculture and allied sectors are addressed through the Kisan Call Centers in the local language by the experts of Agricul- ture / Horticulture Departments, State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutions etc.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra Pravara Village IT Project (PRAGATI) Maharashtra
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is a project of ICAR for testing and transfer of agricultural technologies to bridge the gap between production and productivity The KVK has excelled in bringing the modern technological packages at the farmers doorstep with the help of various instructional units
E- Choupal
The E-Choupal model has been specifically designed to tackle the challenges posed by the unique features of Indian agriculture, characterized by fragmented farms, weak infrastructure and the involvement of numerous intermediaries, among others
REFERENCE:
1. ICTs for Agricultural Extension : Global Experiments, Innovations and Experiences by R. SARAVANAN
2.www.agmarknet.nic.in (a farmers centric portal on agricultural marketing)“ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MARKETING” 1 Dr. Anitha H.S. & 2 Navyashree C. (Adarsh Journal of Management Research)
3.http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTARD/Resources/47WB_ARD_Role_ITC_Note47_web_0509v2.
4.https://www.slideshare.net/GobindRaj/role-of-computers-in-science-and-technology-agriculture?qid=671aa05e-8dbd-4797-9191-10f28eccd6f4&v=&b=&from_search=1 Area/State
Information technology can be defined as the diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, disseminate, store, and manage information. These technologies include computers, internet, and network hardware and software, satellite systems, broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and telephony (land lines and cellular). As well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as web portals, email, SMS, videoconferencing, etc. In short information technology is helpful to communicate the knowledge
In agriculturally based developing countries like India cannot ignore agriculture in such transformation. Information technology refers to how we use information, compute and communicate information to the people. The role of information technology is, users need with the right information, in right form, in right time. The generation and application of agricultural knowledge is progressively important, particularly for small and marginal farmers, who require relevant information in order to improve, sustain, and diversify their farm enterprises.
Telecommunications responsible for managing agriculture and the production of food in the developing world can use telecom applications to help deal with the problems facing them. To produce adequate food for ever-increasing numbers of mouths will demand the adoption and appreciation of new production methods, sustainable for the foreseeable future, by all those who work in agriculture and agricultural planning. Information and communication technologies are proposed as essential tools to disseminate the knowledge and information needed by workers in agriculture to improve the production processes. Telecommunications also provide vital tools for planners and administrators in the agriculture and food sectors
OBJECTIVES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TOWARDS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MARKETING:
To increase the amount of information provided to all participants in agricultural sector and to decrease the cost of disseminating the information. to bring farmers ,researchers, scientists, and administrators together by establishing “agricultural online” through exchange of ideas and information.
Need of information technology in agricultural production and marketing:
Information technology can be applied particularly in the social and economic areas where it can effectively facilitate social and economic development of the Indian agrarian community
However, the rural population in our country still has difficulties in accessing crucial information in the form they can understand in order to make timely decisions for better farming information technology in generating possibilities to solve such problems of different categories of end users.
For this purpose electronic communications infrastructure need to be established in the country.
STRENGTHENING THE INFORMATION ECONOMY OF SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
Raising the productivity of smallholders is a necessary condition for increasing incomes and improving livelihoods among the rural poor in most developing countries. This increased productivity is essential to both household food security and to agriculture-based growth and poverty reduction in the larger economy. Smallholder productivity is limited by a variety of constraints including poor soils, unpredictable rainfall, and imperfect markets, as well as lack of access to productive resources, financial services, or infrastructure. It is also critically limited, for example, by lack of information about market prices, available crop varieties, production techniques, and methods of disease management— information that pertains specifically to local conditions. Smallholders also lack timely information sources such
as news reports or early warning communications about weather, pest outbreaks, and other seasonal risks, and about services that could help address them. The smallholder agricultural economy is in crucial ways an information and service economy. The physical isolation of smallholders imposes high information costs that compound the high transport and transaction costs of obtaining inputs and marketing outputs. Improving the information, communication, transaction, and networking resources available to farmers—and to the markets, organizations, and institutions they interact with—is essential to making smallholder agriculture more productive. The appropriate deployment and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is central to this improvement. Information and communication technologies are also vitally important to commercial and large-scale agriculture, and to agriculture-related services and infrastructure such as weather monitoring and irrigation. This note focuses on the sometimes less-obvious importance of ICT in improving the information, communication, transaction, and networking elements of smallholder agriculture in developing countries.
LINKING FARMERS TO CHANGING URBAN AND GLOBAL MARKETS
Consumption patterns among urban populations are changing and generally diversifying. Demand for meat, fish, dairy, horticultural, and processed products in particular is increasing. Here too, ICT can play an important role in enabling smallholders to produce high-value commodities and to capitalize on opportunities to participate in these markets. Supply chains leading to these urban and global markets are highly integrated, and require timely information and impose exacting quality standards. ICT can be instrumental in improving smallholders’ access to information about these markets and what is required to produce for them. It can also greatly facilitate networking among smallholders, and provide new ways to communicate with institutions that are involved in carrying out transactions in these markets.
Information technology for agricultural production and marketing:
Information technology is playing an important and vital role in agricultural production and marketing. Information technology allows farmers to save time on orders and delivery and getting feedback.
1. The generation and application of agricultural knowledge is increasingly important, especially for small and marginal farmers, who need relevant information in order to improve, sustain, and diversify their farm enterprises.
2. Agriculture can require substantial knowledge transfer to farmer and among farmers, including information about successful farming practices, new technologies or controls of pest and disease outbreaks, and new markets
3. ITs can directly support farmers access to timely and relevant information, as well as empower the sharing of knowledge of the farming community itself
4. Farmers crop database must be managed. The data base includes the kinds of crops, the size of cultivated area , time of harvest and yield. Farmers of the extension personnel transmit those data via the internet to data base server. Further information provides the farmer with an important instrument for decision making and taking action.
5. Crops information service system should be created. This system analyzes the crop data to create some statistical tables. Farmers can access these statistical data by browsing the home page and make their production plan .
6. This very technology may also be used when it comes to marketing or advertising a certain product or service. Information technology is helping this industry to improve its performance by bringing more sales and profit to their companies.
Important Agencies, Models, Initiatives, Projects of the Agricultural Marketing Information networks:
Major recommendation to improve agricultural production and marketing through information technology:
1. Information Technology for timely market and weather information is key to development in the farming sector. We should tailor our rural Information Technology Policies according to our requirements.
2. There is a need for Integrated Website for all agencies, of both State and Central Government, involved in Agricultural marketing services using ICT like APEDA, APMCs, CWC, SWCs, CACP, CCI, DMI, FCI, JCI, KVKs, MPEDA, NAFED, TRIFED, NCDC, NDDB,NHB, SAMBs etc.
3. Establishment of AGMARKNET Nodes at KVKs and Panchayats and computerization of all mandies/ APMCs.
4. Wholesale markets should have WiMAX based Internet Hubs.
5. There is a need for greater synergy between extension services and market.
6. Tele density in rural areas continues to be low, increase in tele-density as an important component of infrastructure development should be taken up.
7. Arrangements should be made to introduce electronic scientific grading of agricultural commodities in the markets or for a cluster of markets
Agency / Project
Activity Description
India
AGMARKNET
Launched, in March 2000, linking important agricultural produce markets, the State Agriculture Marketing Boards & Directorates. It provides information on agriculture products, their prices, arrivals, availability, trends, analysis, laws, etc. Currently, AGMARKNET Covers 2900 markets all over the country and display of information of 400 commodities on daily basis in ten languages, linking all important APMCs in India Marketing Channel — PPP initiative Public-Partner- Participation concept
State Agricultural Marketing Boards
SAMB
SAMB Gives sustainable development of agriculture that improves the quality of life of the rural population Identifies location of markets for connectivity under the Directorates of Marketing Scheme based on importance of the market in commodity flow patterns
India
Kisan Call Centre
The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India launched Kisan Call Centers in 2004 in. every state to deliver extension services and marketing information The Queries related to agriculture and allied sectors are addressed through the Kisan Call Centers in the local language by the experts of Agricul- ture / Horticulture Departments, State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutions etc.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra Pravara Village IT Project (PRAGATI) Maharashtra
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is a project of ICAR for testing and transfer of agricultural technologies to bridge the gap between production and productivity The KVK has excelled in bringing the modern technological packages at the farmers doorstep with the help of various instructional units
E- Choupal
The E-Choupal model has been specifically designed to tackle the challenges posed by the unique features of Indian agriculture, characterized by fragmented farms, weak infrastructure and the involvement of numerous intermediaries, among others
REFERENCE:
1. ICTs for Agricultural Extension : Global Experiments, Innovations and Experiences by R. SARAVANAN
2.www.agmarknet.nic.in (a farmers centric portal on agricultural marketing)“ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MARKETING” 1 Dr. Anitha H.S. & 2 Navyashree C. (Adarsh Journal of Management Research)
3.http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTARD/Resources/47WB_ARD_Role_ITC_Note47_web_0509v2.
4.https://www.slideshare.net/GobindRaj/role-of-computers-in-science-and-technology-agriculture?qid=671aa05e-8dbd-4797-9191-10f28eccd6f4&v=&b=&from_search=1 Area/State
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