ICT IN AGRICULTUREPRESENTATION BY:KENNY LOWELL NGAOSI

FIRST WE NEED TO RECALL ABOUT SOME FACTS RELATING TO OUR COUNTRY

• THE PHILIPPINES IS BLESSED WITH AGRICULTURAL LANDS, MINERAL RICH EARTH, TROPICAL RAINFORESTS, AND SURROUNDED BY BODIES OF WATERS.

• OUR PRIMARY EXPORTS INCLUDE SEMICONDUCTORS AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS, TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT, GARMENTS, COPPER PRODUCTS, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, COCONUT OIL, AND FRUITS.

FIRST WE NEED TO RECALL ABOUT SOME FACTS RELATING TO OUR COUNTRY

• THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR EMPLOYS CLOSE TO 32% -ABOUT 14% OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT(GDP).

• THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR EMPLOYS 14%-30% GDP

• THE SERVICE SECTOR EMPLOYS 47%-56% GDP

• UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT ARE STILL AT LARGE IN THE COUNTRY

FIRST WE NEED TO RECALL ABOUT SOME FACTS RELATING TO OUR COUNTRY

• POVERTY IS STILL RAMPANT IN THE COUNTRY

• A LOT ARE HOMELESS, BEGGARS, VAGRANTS

• A LOT OF US CAN’T AFFORD EDUCATION AND MEDICAL NEEDS

• OUR COUNTRY IS FREQEUNTED WITH TYPHOONS AND EARTHQUAKES

Why did I chose Agriculture as a topic to relate with ICT? • OUR COUNTRY IS AN AGRICULTURAL LAND IN

A TROPICAL MARITIME REGION

• THOUGH AGRICULTURE COMPOSE OF A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE WORKFORCE, IT DOES NOT GENERALLY PRODUCE MUCH INCOME LOCALLY OR INTERNATIONALLY (EXPORT)

• BAGUIO-BENGUET AREA IS KNOWN FOR ITS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE

• I AM A JUNIOR FARMER AND AN I.T. STUDENT

WHAT COMMONLY ARE THE PROBLEMS IN AGRICULTURE?• PESTS

• WEATHER CHANGES OR SEASONAL SHIFTS

• BAD MARKETING AND TRADE

• IRRIGATION PROBLEMS

• LACK OF FUNDS

• LACK OF MATERIALS

• LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT FARMING

Conversations with local farmersFelisa Paulino(Vegetable Farmer)

• Interviewer: Auntie, sino di kanayon ay imulmula yo? (Auntie, what do you usually plant?)

• Mrs. Paulino: Carrots, repolyo, patatas, ya din wombok. (Carrots, cabbage, potato, and Chinese cabbage.)

• Interviewer: Sino dadin kanayon ay kailangan yo nu manmulmula kayo? (What mostly do you need when planting?)

• Mrs. Paulino: Abuno met lang, din tae din manok. Asi danan malakuan adi ay imula. Pati baw din pan-spray. (Fertilizer, the chicken dung. And also the seedlings. It would also include the spray(insecticide).)

• Interviewer: Kasanu din panangilako yo ngen? (How is the trade?)

• Mrs. Paulino: Nu ed trading post adi yan pila-pila asi nalaka pang-ala da isunga ka-ideretso kami ed Baguio ta nangatngato ala da. Nu ipasa abe yan lugi nu mamingsan tan wada din manlako si 1php per kilo. Bumaba-ngumato di presyo isunga tsinambaan. Din presyo yan maamuan mi sin radio nu aga et itext da pay adi. (pause) Napadasak pay ay naseyep ed trading post kadan din nan-pile-an mi si lako ta panseseedan mi sin mailako ay udom ya din manlako. (At trading post, there is a long queue and they buy them at a lower price that is why we bring them directly to Baguio because they offer a higher price. If we pass them to an agent, there is quite a large loss sometimes because some will buy the vegetables for 1php per kilo. There is a rise and fall of prices that is why it depends on luck. We are made aware of the price via the radio or some will send a text message. (pause) I experience sleeping at trading post at the grounds where we pile our products while waiting for other products to be sold and for the buyers.)

• Interviewer: Wat sidoy di saludsud ko Auntie. Salamat en dakayo. (That is all the question I have, Auntie. Thank you very much.)

Conversations with local farmersRoselyn W. Dimatulac(Farmer/housewife)

• Interviewer: Sino di imulmula yo ay kanayon ed ili yo? (What do you usually plant at your place?)

• Mrs. Dimatulac: Et din kanayon ay mula mi pay adi yan repolyo, wombok, beans ya patatas. (We usually plant cabbage, Chinese cabbage, beans, and potatoes.)

• Interviewer: Sino ngen di kaman pan-gastusan yo nu manmula kayo? (What are mostly the expenses when you plant?)

• Mrs. Dimatulac: Din abuno, insecticide, danan workers. (It would be fertilizer, insecticide, the workers.)

• Interviewer: Sino di kaman problema yo nu mangargarden kayo pay? (What are your problems when gardening?)

• Mrs. Dimatulac: Din danum, danan peste. Nu napigsa abe ay pirmi din udan yan madadael dadin mula. Nu summber abe yan mabalin ay matdok luta nu maga di pansibog. (The water, the pests. Heavy rains can also cause damage to the plants. During summer, the land might become arid if there is no water supply.)

• Interviewer: Nu inkayo man-ilako yan sino di padas yo isdi? (During selling, what are your experiences?)

• Mrs. Dimatulac: Nu inkami man-ilako yan tsinambaan din presyo tan bigla ay ngato o baba di. Bassit lang di makatsamba sin nguminaan di nateng. Pila-pila adi ed trading post asi wada di alley-alley ay pan-ideliveram. Nu din udom wada di contact da ay ahente. (If we are going to sell, it is base on luck as prices might immediately go down or up. Only few get chances to sell their products at high price. There is a long queue at trading post and there are alleys where you can deliver. Others have contacts with agents.)

• Interviewer: Sino di iyat yo ay mancontact sin pan-ilakuan yo ngen? (How do you contact your customer?)

• Mrs. Dimatulac: wada met din cellphone ay pancontact sin ahente. (We use the cellphone to contact the agent.)

• Interviewer: May salasalamat garud manang sin oras yo. (Thank you very much for your time.)

HOW CAN I.T. ASSIST IN THE RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS

• THROUGH INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT), INFORMATION DISSEMINATION CAN BE FACILITATED

• ASSIST IN THE FUNCTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL ELECTRONIC TOOLS

• ICT CAN HELP ASSIST IN INFORMATION EXCHANGES BETWEEN INVOLVED PARTIES

E-AGRICULTURE

• STARTED FROM THE GLOBAL SURVEY IN 2006

• FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO) OF THE UN

• AN EMERGING FIELD FOCUSED ON THE ENHANCEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH IMPROVED INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION PROCESSES.

ADVANTAGES• FASTER INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

• INCREASE PRODUCTION AND DECREASE WASTAGE

• ASSIST IN MARKETING IN TRADE

• EASIER ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCHES

• WEATHER UPDATES

• FASTER EXCHANGE IN INFORMATION

• ASSIST IN FASTER FINANCIAL PROCESSES

DISADVANTAGES• SOME HAVE NO ACCESS TO MODERN

TECHNOLOGY

• SOME LACK EDUCATION TO BE PART OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

• ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION-UNDERSTANDING NOT ASSURED

• EXPERTS ARE NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE

• PERSONAL TRAINING IS STILL NECESSARY

• NOT ALL WILL AGREE TO IT

COMPROMISE• KEY PERSONS

• EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT E-AGRICULTURE

• GO’S AND NGO’S TO ASSIST WITH THE PROJECT

• BOTTOM-LEVEL WRITING OF INFORMATION

SOME APPLICATIONS OF E-AGRICULTURE IN OTHER COUNTRIES• UGANDA VILLAGES USED MOBILE PHONES TO

COMMUNICATE SIGNS OF DROUGHT TO THE RESEARCHERS

• UGANDA, TANZANIA, AND OTHER SURROUNDING AREAS USES SMARTMONEY

• “AGRI-FIN MOBILE” ("AGRICULTURE" PLUS "FINANCIAL" SERVICES),A “BUNDLED” MOBILE SERVICE, IS HELPING RURAL FARMERS IN INDONESIA, UGANDA AND ZIMBABWE

• INDIA-WEATHER FORECAST SENT TO PHONES OR INTERNET ACCOUNTS

THAT’S ALL FOLKSTHANK YOU VERY MUCH