Easy Access to Market Information through M-Farm

Born out of the IPO48, a 48 hour tech  bootcamp, a great tech-business idea M-Farm has found its way up the rudder, impacting positively on the economic well-being of Kenyan farmers, by providing them with a transparency tool to get real time crop prices and sell them.
Farmers are plagued with problems affecting their productivity and livelihood, middlemen only offering meager prices for their produce, cereal boards delaying with payments, and expensive farm inputs. Many more people cannot get into agriculture, and just about 20% people were in the agriculture sector by 2011 when M-Farm started.

M-Farm offers smallholder farmers with three services: price information, collective crop selling, and collective input buying. They are currently collecting wholesale market price information on 42 crops in five markets in Kenya. Pricing information is collected daily through independent data collectors using geocoding to ensure that the prices are being collected from wholesale traders actually located in each market.

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SOURCE: ICT4Ag Social Reporting Blog

Citizen participation through radio and mobile phone convergence

The omnipresence  of mobile phones, their ability to ease access to various services andlow cost of maintenance, make it rewarding for people to use them as tools for enabling citizen participation in policy debates, to improve service delivery and to provide access to various information and communication services that impact their socio-economic development.
The convergence of radio and mobile phones have increased the impact of citizen participation on social and economic development. Citizen participation is becoming a common phenomenon, which has also been adopted in the agricultural sector. One of the successful initiatives integrating citizen participation in agriculture through radio and mobile phone convergence is TRAC FM.

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SOURCE: ICT4Ag Social Reporting Blog

You Think Youths are Useful Idiots? Hold your tongue- We are Innovators.

"Youths are jobless and them developing Apps is just something to fulfill their hobbies.”

Can you imagine? That's the comment that came from one of the Delegates at the ICT4Ag 2013 International Conference, Kigali, Rwanda. Put yourself in the shoes of the the youth, sit your self on that chair, and imagine listening to a respected person, a leader and credible consultant utter those words in the full presence of the youth. Like a sharp double edged sword, they would pierce in your heart, like a sharp stick accidentally plucking your ear they would resonate.

This is just an example of many other humiliations youths undergo as they struggle to achieve their career goals. Youths are usually perceived as not so serious folks, who have no direction or clearly set goals. In many cases they are used as rubber stamps, just as some useful idiots not so important. Seemingly, not so important that the world can do without them. Yet, the youth are in the fore front of the great technological innovations taking place around the world. The involvement of the youth in integrating the use of ICT in agriculture is such a tremendous revolution of this generation. Reflecting on the Plug and Play Day, we saw a great percentage of successful as well start up initiatives hacked by young people. Enterprises are flourishing and profitable. Farmers are finding this useful and important; essential for their survival and growth.

Would you call this merely a hobby because the youth are jobless? Why not focus on enhancing the ICT4Ag industry so that even more youths get involved? There is need to build the capacity for the youth to successfully engage in ICT4Ag enterprises. They can perform well in the provision of access to internet and other ICT tools, content development as well as information and knowledge dissemination. The private and public sectors need to work together to develop an institutional framework that can help to tap the potential of the youth and help them to appropriately and successfully apply their knowledge , skills and energy, as well as guide them on the knowledge management cycle.

As Stephen from Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya, puts it, it is also important to for public and private sector to support the youth to make their Apps and other products open source. This will enable continuous improvement and sustainability of mobile and web applications for agriculture, with the help of other more experienced developers, easy replication and avoid duplication. In this case, the private and public sector should motivate the youth by financing and providing technical support to the youth, because this is what restricts the youth from making the applications open source.

Furthermore, there is need to develop a forum for young people in ICT4Ag, that would serve as a learning community, as well as a platform that can help a void duplication and enhance collaboration among many other benefits.

You see! Youths are driven by passion and strive to meet their career goals, they are too eager to contribute to change in their communities rather than driving innovation as a hobby.

Yes! #ICT4Ag13, the ICT for Agriculture International Conference is Here...

Its happening in Kigali, Rwanda at the great conference of the decade on ICT for Agriculture... 4-8 November, 2013...

Have your say in how to establish a dynamic and enabling environment where ICTs for agriculture (farming, fisheries and livestock) can flourish. Be part of the debate as we discuss topics such as ICTs and value chains, advocacy and policy development, and assessing the impact of ICTs.

1. Plug and Play Day
A fantastic opportunity for a valuable and very practical insight into the latest technological developments in the field of ICTs for agriculture.
http://ict4ag.org/en/agenda/plug-play-day.html

2. Field Trips
http://ict4ag.org/en/agenda/field-trips.html

3. ICT4AG HACKATHON
Supporting ICT innovations and entrepreneurship that enhance agriculture
http://ict4ag.org/en/agenda/hackathon-en.html

4. Exibition
http://ict4ag.org/en/agenda/exhibition.html

5. Side Events
http://ict4ag.org/en/agenda/side-meetings.html

6.Get a test of what you should expect at the Conference
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYBneZyWZUWFJdE_OrF0bRQ?feature=watch

7. Check out the Conference Agenda
http://ict4ag.org/en/agenda/sessions.html

And the Live Blog is at http://blog.ict4ag.org

Lets boost agricultural production through ICT

Youth Session at the ICT4Ag conference!

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) and other key partners is organising the International ICT4Ag conference in Kigali, Rwanda, from 4-8 November 2013.

 During the conference, a youth session on "Capacity Development, Youth, and ICTs In Agriculture" will take place on 5th November.

 Session 10: Capacity Development, Youth, and ICTs In Agriculture
 [Time:] Nov 5, 2013 
[Location:] Room: Bulera
 [Duration:] 13:30 - 15:00

Agriculture does not only need youth to replace the old farmer but also to bring innovations that modernise the sector and strengthen it, so that youths also benefit from it. The application of new ICTs in agriculture particularly confirms that assertion. This session will be led by a panel of four dynamic young professionals from Africa and Latin America who have launched or are involved in key initiatives in transforming their communities. Jahve’s association is using ICTs and social media to sensitize youths to organic agriculture; Alloysius and his team have created a company that improves communication via ICTs with smallholder farmers; Joseph has developed ICT platform that support the marketing of young agricultural businesses; and Ernest has developed an application that improves farming education and information to farmers, in particular to encourage youth’s engagement.

The challenges faced by these youths, their stakeholders and organisations in the implementation of these activities, as well as the policy implications in particular for governments; regional and international institutions will be discussed. Cases to be discussed constitute models that will inspire other youths in search for consolidating the future of ACP agriculture and their opportunities.

This is THE session you don’t have to miss at the ICT4Ag Conference!
 [Chairperson/Facilitators:]
Catherinerose Barretto (KINU, Tanzania)
 Ken Lohento (CTA)

 [Speakers:] Jahvé Mescco Condori, Asociación Nacional de Productores ecológicos del Perú (ANPE PERU) Agroecological youth using ICT to market environmentally organic products
Alloysius Attah, CEO, Farmerline Farmerline: Improved communication pathway for smallholder farmers Ernest James Mwalusanya, Developer, Farming Instructor, Tanzânia Farming Instructor, an application to strengthen youth’s engagement in agriculture as a means of self-employment
Joseph Macharia, ACLECOPS (Kenya) Inspiring Youth to Participate in Agricultural Activities by Harnessing the Power of Radio, Social Media and SMS in Kenya More information on the ICT4Ag

website: http://goo.gl/cN4Ngh
SOURCE: http://ardyis.cta.int

YES I AM JUST A MESSENGER, YET THE MOST HIT BY MODERN DAY SLAVERY...!!!

EVERY TIME YOU USE THEM YOU DEMOTIVATE THEM, EVERY TIME YOU ABUSE THEM, YOU ABUSE THE WORLD, YOU DO NOT MAKE GOOD USE OF THEIR EFFORTS/ENERGY/ENTHUSIASM/ CONFIDENCE/COURAGE, YOU ARE THE FACTOR BEHIND THEIR STRUGGLE BECAUSE YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR STRUGGLES... YOU MAKE THEM BE BORN... AGAIN AND AGAIN... EVEN IN THE DARKEST CORNERS WHERE ONLY A SHARP LIGHT BLINKS... YOU LEAVE THEM IN LIME LIGHT....OH MY YOUTHS OF AFRICA, MY POOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS... ARISE AND STAY AWAKE, WATCH OUT FOR THE SWINDLERS THE ENEMIES OF YOUR PROGRESS... THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR POTENTIAL AND EAGERNESS, CHOPPING YOU TO YOUR KNEES, YOU BELIEVE IN THEM, THEY SHOW YOU SPARKLING COLOURS YET NO FULFILLMENT TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND NO REWARD TO PAY YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK... FOR HOW LONG CHILDREN OF AFRICA?

FOR HOW MANY TIMES WILL YOU SUFFER THIS LOSS OF DIGNITY? LIKE IN THE TIMES OF COLONIALISM, WHIPPED AND ENSLAVED, YET WITH LITTLE ROOM FOR YOU TO SPEAK OUT, NO CHANCE AT ALL TO VOICE OUT YOUR WOES...!

SOFTLY, THEY FACE YOU, SOFTLY AND GENTLY THEY ENTICE YOU, YET STEADILY THEY DECEIVE YOU! SLOWLY, DIFFUSING YOU IN THE SMOKE OF LIES... YES LIES IN INDEED...! HOW MANY STORIES OF THAT KIND HAVE YOU HEARD YOUTH OF AFRICA? HOW MANY SONGS OF THAT TUNE? AND JUST HOW MANY ANIMALS OF THAT COLOUR HAVE YOU SEEN AND EATEN BEFORE? SO NUMEROUS, A BUNCH OF THEM... YES INDEED A BUNCH OF THEM...!

WHAT MAKES YOU TO BUY INTO THAT? OH YES! BECAUSE YOU ARE EAGER TO DO YOUR BEST IN IMPROVING YOUR WELL BEING AND THAT OF THE MANY SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AFRICA... TO CUT THE CYCLES OF POVERTY... YOU ARE EAGER TO JUMP INTO THE WAGON NO MATTER HOW DEEP THE TUNNEL MIGHT SEEM... SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU LIVE TO CONQUER THE POVERTY SURROUNDING YOU...

AS THEY SAY NOT ALL THAT GLITTER IS GOLD... YES INDEED NOT ALL SMILING PEOPLE ARE KIND ENOUGH... KIND ENOUGH TO RESCUE YOU... FOR MANY, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR ENERGY, YOUR POTENTIAL AND READY TO CAPITALISE ON YOUR WEAKNESS... POVERTY...

WHERE IS YOUR DIGNITY YOUTH OF AFRICA... WHERE IS YOUR SO MUCH SUNG DIGNITY AND RESPECT? MAN HAS ENTHRONED HIMSELF TO ENSLAVE YOU... TO ABUSE YOU TO THE LAST BONE...

WHERE YOU INITIATE, THEY SEE A LOOP HOLE TO SIDELINE YOU AND CALL IT THEIRS... DEFILING YOUR OWN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT... SLOWLY THEY PUSH YOU OVER THE WIRE FENCE AND AT A DISTANCE YOU WATCH YOUR OWN... CAGED AND UNREACHABLE ...

WHERE YOU INNOVATE AND IMPROVE, THEY MAKE YOU MEAN AND USELESS... NOT USEFUL AT ALL YOU ARE REGARDED...

TOTALLY A CONDUIT YOU ARE IN THEIR EYES... SURELY A TOOL YOU ARE IN THEIR HANDS... ROLLED UP AND DOWN! FLIPPED LEFT AND RIGHT...! BRUISED HEAD AND FEET...!

HEADS UP! YOU KNOW NOT HOW IT FEELS TO ENJOY WHAT IS DUE TO YOU... YOU TOIL UNDER THE SHINING SUN OF THIS LOVELY CONTINENT... HURT YOUR BACK ON THAT WOODEN CHAIR OF YOUR DEEMED WORKSPACE... CRACKING DOWN ASSIGNMENTS OF THOSE TASKS... IN THE HOPE OF A BETTER DEAL... YET TO NO AVAIL...

ARISE! SAY NO TO THAT SLAVERY! PUT THAT TO HOLD, LET IT SHRINK AND DIE...

ARISE YOUTH OF AFRICA... DEMAND FOR YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD...

REFUSE TO BE ABUSED... SAY NO TO THAT MODERN DAY SLAVERY... THAT DISCRIMINATION... ABASH

VIVA VIVA VIVA YOUTH OF AFRICA! IT MAY TAKE SOMETIME BUT YOUR LIBERATION IS COMING... CANT YOU SEE THE WAVE? GRAB IT... EXTEND YOUR HAND AND PASS IT ON... VIVA AFRICAN YOUTH...!!!

YES I AM JUST A MESSENGER, YET THE MOST HIT BY MODERN DAY SLAVERY...!!!

Youth in Agriculture Programme Key to engaging youth

Originally posted on YPARD

“Are these roasted bananas?” I asked, as my colleague Ado looked on nodding against me. “Let's ask her”, he said. It's amazing! Many different types of fresh agriculture products are sold along the streets of Accra. All the lady could tell us was that the bananas like fruits are called plante according to her pronunciation.

One would wonder the destiny and mission of the seemingly unplanned walks by the two guys; Zambian and Ethiopian YPARDians. Less to the expectation of many, they are anxious and eager to learn how Ghana has managed to make it in agriculture; Are the young people involved in agriculture in Ghana? If so, is the government supporting them and how? Many such questions entangle them and they move around reflecting on the 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week deliberations.

Walking few meters away from the Accra Art Centre, a medium size bill board shines with green writings. Our eyes caught in bliss, as we both shouted “Youth in Agriculture Programme”. Quickly we made a turnover to locate the offices so that we could learn more about the programme.

With our hearts beating with fear, as we were about to enter important offices without an appointment, we went straight to these beautiful wooden, well-structured and constructed offices. And quickly, we identified the secretariat of the Youth in Agriculture Program in Ghana. After getting permission from the registry, we moved on, knocked on the door and as soon as we introduced ourselves, the youthful man extended his hands and softly shouted, Akwaaba! (Akwaaba means Welcome in Ghanaian local language).

Mr. Gao Francis works as Coordinator of aquaculture/fisheries at the secretariat of the Youth in Agriculture program of the government of Ghana. He took his time to chat with us and explained an inspirational youth programme.

The Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) is a Government of Ghana (GOG) agricultural sector initiative with an objective of motivating the youth to accept and appreciate farming/food production as a commercial venture, thereby taking up farming as a life time vocation.

The YIAP has the task and responsibility of mobilizing the youth to take up farming and its other related activities as life time vocation. By so doing the following benefits will be derived from the employment for the youth, through the provision of tractor services and agro – inputs;

The youth in Agriculture Programme has the objective of Making youth accept farming as a commercial business venture; Generate appreciable income to meet farmers domestic and personal needs; Youth will improve their standard of living-through improved income. Youth will be motivated to stay in rural areas, as inputs will be delivered at their farm gate, on credit basis and interest free, Produce enough food crops, meat and fish using modem methods. The Youth in Agriculture has four (4) components namely: Crops / Block Farm Livestock and Poultry Fisheries/Aquaculture and Agribusiness

In his quick yet rich explanation, Francis narrated how beneficial the program is to engaging the youth in agriculture. He narrated that the youth are given inputs on credit and they are required to pay without interest, in kind or by cash. He said that, the government has also put in place a strategy to provide market for all the products which young farmers produce. However, this market is not a mandate that every young farmer has to sale to the government; the market is there to make sure that those who do not have market for their product can sale to the government.

The young farmers are organized in cooperatives through which they access input credit from the government. There is no collateral involved and all the youth have to do is work with necessary departments to arrange for land either from the government or from the village. The non -requirement of collateral to access input credit, enables more young farmers to engage in agriculture.

However, he narrated that it is difficult to convince young farmers who are based in mining areas to engage in farming, as they get more and quick money from mining activities.

It clearly stands, the programme is aimed at policy, strategy and sustainability. An enriched policy put in place, a workable strategy adopted and sustainability upheld. It’s a great program which other countries can learn from.

Yes indeed, Ghana is able to achieve MDG1 before the deadline, it has more than halved the levels of hunger and stands as an example. It is important to note that it clearly stands that the youth play a big role in the development of agriculture and realization of food security. All governments and in particular ministries of agriculture are called to learn from the effective and successful Youth in Agriculture programme and set up policies, strategies, and budgets to support similar programmes in all African countries.

Yes indeed as there is need for action as the President of IFAD puts it “To farm successfully, women need agricultural resources and inputs, as well as access to rural finance, education, and knowledge. They also need rights to the land they farm and a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Higher productivity and income do not automatically lead to improved nutritional status.”

IT IS TIME FOR AFRICA TO ACT SO THAT IT FEEDS ITSELF.

Picture courtesy: Carsten ten Brink

THE YOUTH SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A RUBBER STAMP; POLICY FORMULATION CONSULTATION SHOULD RESPECT THE OPINION OF THE YOUTH.

The National Youth Policy in Zambia is a guide of youth development in Zambia. Its purposes include: to guide, inspire and validate the development of youth programmes of action; to provide the government and stakeholders with a legal framework for supporting and mainstreaming youth development programmes and activities; to empower youth to participate in national agendas and take advantage of opportunities available in the country; to provide comprehensive and effective strategies for policy implementation; to build and reinforce Zambian youth leaders; to include all the emerging issues and respond to the current needs of the youth today. The first National Youth Policy was developed in 1994 and a review was done which saw the birth of the 2006 National Youth Policy.

 Following various dynamic socioeconomic issues facing the youth in the country, the youth policy is undergoing review to facilitate the development of a new National Youth Policy for Zambia. Various recommendations are being made that would help shape the new policy. However, some unclear per-enshrined recommendations, have sparked serious debate among the youth delegates at the Consultative Forum for the review of the 2006 National Youth Policy for the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces. The recommendations below made by the National Youth Network on Population and Development and the Zambia Youth Workers Association at the Review of the 2006 National Youth Policy have raised various serious concerns among the youth participants. 

Currently, the institution mandated to deal with Youth Development issues is a statutory body, the National Youth Development Council which was established through an Act of Parliament in 1986. The functions of NYDC include; 

1. To advise the minister on youth development programmes

 2. To coordinate youth activities 

3. To evaluate and implement youth programmes 

4. To assist and encourage organisations interested in youth development in the initiation of youth training and development programmes. 

5. To initiate, operate and manage non-profit or profit-making projects in support of youth development. 

The 2006 National Youth Policy Implementation framework outlines the role of NYDC. The recommendations made by National Youth Network on Population and Development and Zambia Youth Workers Association are in many cases conflicting with the mandate NYDC has. The following are their recommendations: 

1. Ministry of Youth and Sport: Providing Policy Direction, guidance and resource mobilisation to the youth sector. 

2. National Youth Development Council: To interpret government policies into actions through youth organisations, regulate operations of youth organisations, register youth organisations, act as a link between youth organisations and government and capacity building of youth organisations. 

 3. Zambia Youth Workers Association: protect young people from incompetent and unethical conduct of youth practitioners and regulate the professional conduct of youth workers. 

 4. National Youth Network on Population and Development: This Will be the link between regulators and youth organisations and the role of the implementor of the sector interventions. This will be achieved through the promotion of coordination of sector interventions among youth organisations at various levels of implementation. 

 The revised youth policy should recognise and support the existence of a united youth movement through one National Youth Network on Population and Development. Various issues have been raised so far including 

1. The organisation and structure; the organisations in question are not statutory and were not recommended for establishment by the youth of Zambia and therefore becomes questionable as to how best they can represent the youth of Zambia, especially that they do not have decentralised structures as compared to NYDC. 

 2. The clarity about their establishment and focus is not clear yet. The network was originally established in Zambia under AfriYAN and the name was later changed to National Youth Network on Population and Development. This is not a guarantee that they may represent the youth of Zambia appropriately. 

3. If they have enough funding and really wants to better things, why can they not work hand in hand with NYDC to strengthen its human resource and financial capability, rather than using what would be termed as an indirect way of overpowering it, by duplicating its mandate, roles and functions... As though not enough, the proposers of these recommendations are present at the Consultative Forum, and from the satellite conversations held by them, they are strongly advocating for the adoption of these recommendations. 

We witnessed circumstances where concurrently this team-issued defensive statements in support of the not welcomed recommendations in question, against whoever gave an opinion against the recommendations. It came out of control as the people from this team almost dominated the discussions infringing on other participants' right to express themselves and participate. And a strong question remains, as much as the Senior Youth Development Officer was trying to put it that the ministry has not adopted those recommendations but have asked the youth to have their say, a link between the youth development office and these proposers seems to be read between the wires, sending worries among the youth participating in this important event that, they may just end up being used as Rubber Stamps to endorse something which they have not bought into... 

The second day may see the rebirth of the debate of day one on the recommendations in question, as from the satellite discussions by this 'group' captured so far...they have embarked on trying to convince as many people as possible to go for this recommendation which may see their organisations enshrined in the youth policy, and subsequently limit the powers and mandate of National Youth Development Council. 

Furthermore, various people from the same group are also participating in the review of the National Youth Development Council, and this indicates that there will be a conflict of interest as they may align NYDC in a way that will make them achieve this not youth accepted restructuring. 

However, the youth have proposed that, if there would be a need to form a National Youth Network which should work with NYDC, it has to be independently formed and this should be out of a recommendation by the youth of Zambia. More importantly, the youth would like to see a strengthened single institution; National Youth Development Council, decentralized and continuing with the statutory mandate to foresee the implementation of the National Youth Policy...

free E-Coaching programme for young entrepreneurs (16-35) - Youth Skills for Development

The Youth Employment Network (YEN), an inter-agency programme of the UN, the ILO and the World Bank, offers a free E-Coaching programme for young entrepreneurs (16-35) who have recently started or are in the process of starting a business. Trained E-Coaches provide guidance (in Spanish, English, or French) to young entrepreneurs over a period of 3 to 12 months.

More:  free E-Coaching programme for young entrepreneurs (16-35) - Youth Skills for Development

Chimwemwe Community Information and Learning Centre

Support our project: To improve education and livelihoods through an ICT enabled Information and Knowledge Hub

Regional Workshop on “Engaging Youth in the Implementation Phase of the CAADP Transformation Agenda – KIS

The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is organising a Regional Workshop on “Engaging Youth in the Implementation Phase of the CAADP Transformation Agenda – KIS” on 9-10 May 2013 at the FARA Headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The meeting will look at the entire CAADPcountry and regional policy processes, and identify innovative approaches for making job creation for young people a top priority of the AFSIPs that Africa countries are currently developing. The Workshop will bring together youth, youth leaders, and policymakers including CAADP Country Team Leaders to articulate a workable strategy for effectively engaging youth along the implementation phase of the CAADP Transformation Agenda – KIS. YPARD Africa will partner in this initiative, bringing together key youths in agricultural development in Africa. By working with representatives from an established youth network, continuity and long term strategies related to youth and the CAADP can be tasked to these members, through YPARD Africa, for implementation and follow up. A combination of power point presentations and guided discussions in plenary sessions will be used. These discussions will be moderated by a facilitator. Outcomes of the plenary and panel discussions will be captured and key messages and recommendations developed. The first day of the dialogue will be more introductory and informative to bring all participants to a common denominator. The second day will be dedicated to structured, more interactive, discussions, through the constituted panel discussions. This will provide the room for discussion and generate ideas and recommendations around the Workshop objectives. Follow us on Twitter and spread the word! To keep you updated on the discussions taking place at the workshop, some youths will be tweeting live from Accra! Follow the discussions with Hashtag: #FARAYouth on 9-10 May 2013.

Zambia Launches the Process of Formulating its National Agriculture Investment Plan

Zambia Launches the Process of Formulating its National Agriculture Investment Plan

Join Others in Kigali, Rwanda from 4-8 November 2013 as they look into the future of ICTs for agriculture. Have your say in how to establish a dynamic and enabling environment where ICTs for agriculture can flourish. Be part of the debate on topics such as ICTs and value chains, advocacy and policy development, and assessing the impact of ICTs. Discover new innovations and cutting-edge technologies and share exciting experiences with ICT experts from around the world. Network with representatives from private and public sectors, civil society, farmers and community organisations, development practitioners, entrepreneurs, telecom operators, innovators, information specialists, technology intermediaries, policy makers, and academics from around the world. Don't miss out on this truly unique event. Visit www.ict4ag.org for more information. ICT4Ag is cohosted by CTA and the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI).

SeeingThoughtsVideo2012_WandilaSimon_Zambia

Realizing that about 55 percent of Zambia's total population and 70 percent of the poor live in rural areas, and that the majority of households rely on incomes from agriculture and agriculture related industries, growth in agriculture is expected to generate jobs and create employment opportunities for the poor. With reforms which started in the early 1990's that emphasized on diversification of the economy through promotion of agriculture development, liberalization of marketing and encouragement of private sector participation resulted in some improvements in the sector. Therefore, fostering agricultural growth and rural development is recognized as important in reducing poverty in the country. In line with these efforts various strategies have been put in place to strengthen the efforts in realising the goal of the agricultural sector being "To promote increased and sustainable agricultural productivity and competitiveness in order to ensure food security; Income generation; Creation of employment opportunities; and Reduction in poverty levels."

However, achieving this goal has been a critical path due to various factors. More so, world over, workable strategies of how best various strategies would be applied to ensure agriculture delivers are being sought.

Recognising Agricultural Extension and Rural Advisory services, and the use of ICTs in agriculture as some of the major endeavours in improving agriculture, This short documentary elaborates and demonstrate how a pilot project MAgES Kit (Mobile Agriculture Extension and Rural Advisory Services kit with its integration of ICT can make agriculture to deliver...

I am Wandila Simon Kamukwape a youth passionate about ICTs and agriculture, proudly Zambian...

ICTD 2013: International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development

ICTD 2013: International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development