Agro-information @ the farm gate

Sharbendu BanerjeeCABI Centenary Celebration Workshop, New Delhi, India

November 29th 2010

Losing food to pests and diseases

● 40% of the food we grow is lost to pests and diseases● India may lose 3.9 million tonnes of wheat yield due to

climate change by 2020 ● Rice blast disease results in losses up to 30% every

year ● For every 1% reduction in losses we could feed 25

million more people

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”

Benjamin Franklin

Information is needed @ the farm gate

1. Portal web-sites • accessed through village kiosks • internet access required • information and Q&A services • operated by social workers or kiosk entrepreneurs• SMS and voice messages services (directory)

2. Call centers (Farmers’ Helpline)• accessed through mobiles or telephone land lines • Information & Q&A services• SMSs or voice messages • operated through employed operators

3. Mobile applications • Q&A serviced and market information• data exchange and transactions (key based)• IVR technology (voice and data)• operated by users themselves• iconic voice messages• Value Added Services

Information delivery models @ the farm gate

Can mobile revolutionise Indian Agriculture?

the possibilities are unlimited!

IFFCO CABI experience ● Over 5.5 million farmers in 18 states of India

have subscribed to date● Each farmer daily gets 5 local language voice

messages on crop protection, agronomy, animal husbandry etc

● So far delivered 100,000 Voice Messages and answered 110,000 farmers’ queries

What CABI is doing● Providing scientific backstopping service to the

local experts● Content development & Knowledge Management● Information Quality Assurance● Developing Special Tools like “Crop Health

Diagnosis Kit”

Study of 3000 users by TNS Consultant2010

Comparing IKSL with Other Sources of Information

22.7

32

32.1

52.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Extension officers of line departments andbanks

Government helpline

Agricultural related programs on TV/ Radio

Not using any other source

Percent

Better 75%

Same 25%

*Multiple responses possible, percents do not necessarily add to 100.

Usefulness of IKSL Compared to other sources

Using other sources of information*

And this is what we have learnt

Our vision: Single-window information solutions for Farmers

By 2015, we must ensure food for her…

Thank you