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2. Converging free and open source software tools for knowledge sharing in smallholder agricultural communities in Sri Lanka
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Jayathailake, Chandana (author), Jayasinghe-Mudalige, Udith (author), Perera, Rohana (author), Gow, Gordon (author), and Waidyanatha, Nuwan (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2017
- Published:
- Italy: Italian Agency for Development Cooperation
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10351
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 111(2) : 351-359
- Notes:
- 9 pages., Via online journal., In a world where the notion of ‘sharing of knowledge’ has been gained much prominence in the recent past, the importance of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable agriculture, especially when combined with mobile and open source software technologies is discussed critically. On this rationale, this study was carried out to explore the applicability of the concept of converging ‘Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)’ to promote sustainable knowledge sharing amongst the agricultural communities in Sri Lanka. A multi-stage community consultative process with a set of designated officials (“Sponsors”) and a series of semi-structured questionnaire survey with a cross section of smallholder agriculture farmers (n=246), were carried out in the Batticaloa, Kurunegala and Puttalam districts to gather the baseline data. This was followed by a number of field experiments (“Campaigns”) with the farmers (n=340) from same geographical areas. The two FOSS, namely: (1) “FrontlineSMS” for ‘Text Messaging’ and (2) “FreedomFone” for ‘Interactive Voice Responses’, were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge sharing within the farming communities. It was found that FOSS intervention increases the ‘Text messaging’ and ‘Voice Call’ usage in day-to-day agricultural communication by 26 and 8 percent, respectively. The demographic factors like age and income level of the farmers has positively influence on the knowledge sharing process. And also the ‘Mobile Telephony’ was the most extensive mode of communication within the communities. The outcome of analysis, as a whole, implies that, with a fitting mechanism in place, this approach can be promoted as a “drive for positive changes” in agriculture-based rural communities in developing countries like Sri Lanka, and those in South and East Asia with similar socio-economic and cultural perspectives.
3. Improving agricultural productivity and markets: the role of information and communication technologies
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- McNama, Kerry (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2009-04
- Published:
- USA: World Bank
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 8 Document Number: D10320
- Journal Title:
- Agricultural and Rural Development Notes
- Journal Title Details:
- 47 :1-4
- Notes:
- 4 pages., Via online journal., 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. Information and communication technologies (ICT) 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.
4. Mobile based information communication interactions among major agriculture stakeholders: Sri Lankan experience
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dissanayeke, Uvasara (author) and Wanigasundera, W.A.D.P. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014-01
- Published:
- Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 78 Document Number: D10817
- Journal Title:
- The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries
- Journal Title Details:
- 60(1): 1-12
- Notes:
- 12 pages., via online journal., This study explores the status of mobile usage among the agriculture community in the North‐Central province of Sri Lanka in relation to interactions with major agriculture stakeholders. The objectives of the study were to study the factors affecting the mobile use by farmers, farmers' willingness to receive agricultural information through mobile communication technology, and awareness on mobile based agriculture information systems. Primary data were collected at two stages using two structured interview schedules (N=390, n=65). According to the findings the access to mobile phone was considerable higher among the study group while age and education had an effect on using a mobile phone. Only a few farmers have yet started using them efficiently for agriculture and other commercial purposes. A considerable number of farmers used the mobile phones to contact input suppliers, buyers, agriculture extension officers and other farmers in the area, mostly those who represent community based organizations.
5. Mobile phone usage for accessing agricultural information in southern Ethiopia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kaske, Deribe (author), Mvena, Zebedayo S. K. (author), and Sife, Alfred S. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-01
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10492
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
- Journal Title Details:
- 19(3): 284-298
- Notes:
- 16 pages., via online journal., This study was conducted in Ethiopia to determine the use of mobile phones in agriculture. The study included 320 household heads who owned mobile phones. Data were collected using an interview schedule. The results revealed that the majority (90.6%) of household heads made phone calls for agricultural purposes. Over three quarters (85.9%) of the household heads received phone calls related to agriculture. Short message service (SMS) was poorly used. It is concluded that mobile phones are playing an important role as an informational medium. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture in Ethiopia needs to develop a mobile-based agricultural information dissemination system to enhance information delivery to rural farming households.
6. Use of communication sources by the women beneficiaries of RDRS in income generating activities
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Rashid, Md. Mamunur (author), Mondol, Md. Abu S. (author), Rahman, Md. Sadekur (author), and Noman, Md. Rubayet F. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2015
- Published:
- ESci Journals Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 122 Document Number: D11155
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 3(3): 187-194
- Notes:
- 10 pages., via online journal., The main purpose of this study was to categories and describes the profile characteristics of the women beneficiaries, to determine the use of communication sources by the women beneficiaries, and to explore the relationship between the profile characteristics of the women beneficiaries of RDRS with their use of communication sources. Data were collected using interview schedule from a sample of 112 women beneficiaries selected from the population of 280 by multistage random sampling procedure from five villages of Rajendrapur union under sadar upazila of Rangpur district. Use of communication sources by the RDRS women beneficiaries was determined on three dimensions viz. attitude, contact and application, and finally the use of communication sources index (UCSI) was computed. The UCSI ranged from 45.24 to 277.68 with a possible range of 0 to 300. Based on UCSI, among the 10 communication sources the first five communication sources were husband (277.68), neighbours (219.05), RDRS-worker (205.95), RDRS group meeting (193.45) and relatives (160.42). However, the last five communication sources were RDRS officer (134.82), mobile phone (112.80), television (68.75), inputs dealer (63.99) and SAAOs (45.24). The findings revealed that the highest proportion (38.39%) of the women beneficiaries had medium use of communication sources compared to 33.93% low use and 27.68% high use. Among the ten selected characteristics of the women beneficiaries’ education, farm size, annual income, daily time use, credit received and participation in IGAs showed positive significant relationship while fatalism showed negative significant relationship with their use of communication sources. Age, family size and dependency had no significant relationships. The women beneficiaries of RDRS had moderate exposure with various communication sources so, the concerned Government Organizations and Non-government Organizations engaged in extension activities should make necessary arrangements for improving the use of communication sources by them in income generating activities.