Helping to feed the world through advancements in e-Agriculture

UN Agencies to publish strategy guide for implementing e-Agriculture services

03/03/2015 Bangkok, Thailand

 Guidelines to improve the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in agriculture – gains which could bring innovation in agricultural technology, ensure more efficient food production, mitigate food losses and attract a younger generation to become successful farmers – are close at hand, a forum co-convened by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) heard today.

“The applications of validated e-Agriculture processes will be a great addition to innovative agricultural production, attract young generation in agriculture and help safeguard farmers from losses, especially small holders,” said Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. “These applications could range from a farmer using a smart phone to scan the barcode of a packet of certified seeds – something that could ensure quality and a fair price, to the installation of low-cost sensors at the village-level for hyper local weather information.”

“The lack of available and correct information at the right time and in the right format is a major obstacle to many activities along the traditional agricultural value chain and this is something that e-Agriculture could help address efficiently,” Konuma added.

Konuma was speaking during the opening of an “e-Agriculture Stakeholders Consultation” which has drawn government officials and researchers, primarily from Asia, Africa and Near East to the three day event in the Thai capital.

While information and communication technology has seen rapid advancements and implementation around the world in the industrial sectors, many countries have been slow to exploit ICTs in agriculture. While some countries have implemented various ad-hoc ICT applications, there is presently no coherent international guidance on successful implementation. However, that’s about to change.  

The e-Agriculture Strategy guide is being developed jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

The participants at the Bangkok consultation are discussing the finalization of the e-Agriculture Strategy Guide and its applications for national context.

“Countries have tried to implement e-Agriculture solutions in isolation,” Konuma pointed out. “This guide provides valuable guidelines and offers a template to implement sustainable e-Agriculture services.”

Concerns over food losses due to natural disasters, or lack of timely information during planting or harvesting, along with increased pressure for food traceability – all offer entry points for the application of proven ICT interventions in agriculture.

It’s anticipated that the new guidelines would be validated in Sri Lanka and Bhutan as pilot countries, and would be used at country level for the formulation of an e-Agriculture strategy in action plans for Asia and the Pacific region and beyond.

The e-Agriculture Stakeholders Consultation is co-convened by FAO, ITU and CTA – the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation.

Press Release from  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Jamaica to import 200 goat embryos..

Some 200 goat embryos are to be purchased next fiscal year as part of a programme aimed at improving the breeding stock of small ruminants - sheep and goats.


Just over $56.6 million has been set aside in the Estimates of Expenditure to complete the procurement of the embryos for assisted breeding through embryo transfer and artificial insemination.
In addition to the purchase of the 200 goat embryos, the Government is to spend money importing 109 animals for local breeding.


Dwight Williams, deputy research director, livestock at Bodles Research Station in St Catherine told The Gleaner that the original project proposal was predicated on the importation of live animals from Australia. However, concerns about diseases prevented the importation of the live animals, thus paving the way for embryos.


"So far, 200 sheep embryos have been brought in," Williams said, while adding that the consultant is to do ultrasound on the animals before implantation.
"We have 100 animals in which we are going to implant the 200 embryos ... . We have brought in 200 sheep and we are to bring in 200 goats."


According to Williams, it is necessary to improve the breeding stock to not only prevent against diseases, but to maximise the returns on the investment.
"It is good to have native goats, and you may have your own native goats, but when you look at the amount of weight that they put on per day, it is very poor. So we need to improve those parametres. Instead of having an animal weighing 40 pounds when it is an adult, we try to get an animal that weighs 80 pounds," Williams said.


Last year, Jamaica procured 244 animals under the diversification of Caribbean Livestock project 150 ewes, 10 rams, 74 does and 10 bucks.
The agriculture ministry said breeding stock increased by 70 per cent within the current fiscal year, which ends in March. It said that the stock has improved to 406 animals inclusive of sheep and goats.


To read more, Jamaica to import 200 goat embryos


Taken from: The Gleaner

First-Ever Maryland Small Ruminant Expo Attracts Future Farmers

The expo was the place to be for anyone interested in starting a farm or becoming a sheep or goat producer. The all-day event taught adults and children different aspects of farming from raising livestock to writing business plans.

"A major struggle for beginning farmers is to get financial credit. A lot of people that have come to talk to us have asked for help with getting their business plan together and how to reach out to those lenders," said Hannah Shear, the beginning farmer program coordinator with the University of Maryland.

There are more than 180,000 acres of farmland in Frederick County, making it an ideal place for producing ruminants. Ruminants are animals that have a digestive system with four different compartments. They include sheep, goats, and cattle.

"Frederick is the number one dairy producing county in Maryland, so there are lots of pastures. It's a great place to do small ruminants," said Shear.

It wasn't just adults who came ready to learn, the youth program taught kids the basics of farming and how to care for the animals.


To read more and view attached video: First-Ever Maryland Small Ruminant Expo Attracts Future Farmers


Taken from: Your4State.com

Agriculture in Caribbean vital to economic growth, sustainable development, says UN official

27 February 2015 – The head of the United Nations agriculture agency underlined yesterday the huge importance of agriculture and farming to countries of the Caribbean during an address to Heads of Government at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit in the Bahamas.


“Strengthening agriculture and increasing support to small-scale and family farming will help ensure greater sufficiency in local food production, protecting your economies from external price shock,” the FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, told the audience, noting the need to meet challenges like climate challenges and to create jobs, particularly for youth.

Mr. Graziano da Silva described agriculture and family farming as “drivers of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development,” and noted how they can create new employment opportunities and be linked to the tourism industry, an important source of revenue for many Caribbean countries.He stressed also the substantial progress made through efforts made in the past two decades by CARICOM members to combat hunger and malnutrition, with Barbados, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname among the 70 developing countries to have already met the Millennium Development Goals hunger target of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015.


To read more: Agriculture in Caribbean vital to economic growth, sustainable development, says UN official

Agriculture Ministers Tour Bamsi Development

The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI) is “well on its way” to sustaining the food demands of the country according to a delegation of agricultural ministers from CARICOM states.

Agricultural ministers from Jamaica, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, Barbados, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines joined Bahamas agricultural and marine science minister, V Alfred Gray, and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) regional representative, Dr Deep Ford, on a comprehensive tour of the 800-acre Andros development yesterday.

Dr Ford called the multifaceted facility “the revitalisation of regional agriculture”, adding that the project illustrates the possibilities of food production by the Caribbean. The group was able to view BAMSI’s 12,000sqft administration building, $1.8m cafeteria, eight-room classroom block, female dormitory, an almost complete marine zone and thriving farming plots.

Dr Ford applauded the quality of vegetation being developed, asserting that crops being generated are “certainly” on par with international standards. “The development here should be praised,” he said.

“This entire facility shows what possibilities are obtainable if we continue to invest in the needs of our people. This goes to show that self-dependency in regards to food and adequate nutrition is possible in this region.”

He expressed his eagerness to see the compound operating at full capacity. “The expertise in agriculture, fisheries, plant production and cattle development is obvious. At this stage, you can identify exactly what is capable and work to enhance all of the projects here.”

Engineers on site yesterday confirmed that the facility is being constructed on schedule despite a number of setbacks. One source explained that portions of the site could be up and running by mid-April.

To read more, Agriculture Ministers Tour Bamsi Development

Taken from Tribune 242

Agric challenges Edo to deploy ICT

BENIN CITY – As the world marked the World Open Data Day celebration, weekend, the Edo State government said it is focusing more on solving the challenges associated with the agricultural sector, using data and technology. The Managing Director, ICT Agency, Edo State, Yemi Keri disclosed this during the commemoration of the World Open Data Day organized by the Edo State Open Data Unit, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the SabiHub. Keri stated that the state government launched its Open Data portal on September, 2013 with the purpose of promoting the open government initiative of the state. She said the data was opened to the public for assessment and republish without restriction from copyright, patents/other mechanisms of control.


The ICT Agency M.D. described the state as the first sub-national government to implement such policy in Africa. She said that since introduced, the ICT agency in Edo State has recorded outstanding achievements, as it was geared towards improving transparency, catalyzing innovations, enabling socio-economic development as well as ensuring a responsible/accountability to the people. In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Abdul Oroh, stressed the importance of information/communication in agricultural development. Commissioner Oroh said that with the rising food prices which he said has left over 40 million people wallowing in poverty, there was need for more effective essential interventions towards advancing agriculture. He pointed out that updated information would provide more knowledge to farmers to enable them cope with such changes as weather patterns and soil conditions.


An ICT expert, Emeka Okoye who talked on Data Wrangling/Data Hack lauded the Edo State government for being the first sub-national government to implement the Open Data portal policy in Africa. Okoye who harped on the importance of using data wrangling to acquire/broaden knowledge in the form of extracting, processing and storing, advised the state government to ensure that it sustains the open data policy for the purpose of transparency and accountability in governance. The event featured other lectures on data/innovation, pitching/presentation of ideas as well as hacking procedures and rules/breaking into groups, with a view to promoting/developing entrepreneurial skills through information technology.


 - See more at: Agric challenges Edo to deploy ICT


Taken from: Taken from The Nigerian Observer

Nepalese start-ups make waves at home, abroad

Mobile phone applications designed by Nepalese start-ups are winning awards and are gaining international recognition in addition to gaining traction in domestic and foreign markets.

ICT for Agriculture, which won the NRs. 500,000 ($5,060) grand prize at the Ncell App Camp Competition in Kathmandu in December last year, is an SMS-based app that allows farmers to access information about market prices, weather conditions, planting techniques and animal diseases.

It previously won NRs. 100,000 ($1,000) for finishing first at the Reconnect Challenge in Kathmandu, a contest open to IT start-ups from Central and South Asia last November.

"Nepali farmers in rural areas lack proper market information. Due to this, they end up selling their products to middlemen at very low prices," Sibjan Chaulagain, one of the app's designers, told Khabar South Asia. "Through our app, they can know about the current prices for their products in major marketplaces and make their selling decisions accordingly.

"There are about 4 million farmer families in Nepal," he added. "We want to be the ultimate platform for agriculture-related information and discussions."

To read more: Nepalese start-ups make waves at home, abroad

Taken from Khabar South Asia