Global Consultation on “Innovative ICT and

Knowledge Sharing Platforms for Revitalizing

Agricultural Extension and Education:

Opportunities and Challenges” Knowledge share centers-CRIDA experiences

K.Nagasree

Scientist Sr.sc( Agril.Extension),CRIDA

3-4 December 2012

Infosys Campus, Hyderabad

CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR DRYLAND

AGRICULTURE(CRIDA)

Hyderabad

Information access is a key constraint for technology adoption ,

particularly in rainfed agriculture.

Access to information reduces burden on the traditional extension

system where man power is a major constraint.

With ICTs, access to agriculture technologies and information on

markets and weather etc,. can be improved.

60 percent of farmers have no access to technology (NSSO,2004 ).

Information and communication networks are expanding quickly

which offer scope to reach farmers more effectively.

Importance of Information

Importance of ICT in agriculture

Assist the agricultural extension functionaries.

Able to reach to large number of people in the shortest time.

Cost effective and timely.

Can deliver high quality personalized (farm-specific) agro-

expert advice.

PROJECT AREA

Each project cluster consists of

8 districts

3-8 villages/hamlets

409-739 households

800 - 6934 ha area

CRIDA

I Kisan

8 cluster level NGOs

PROJECT PARTNERS

CRIDA started “Sustainable rural livelihoods” project under NAIP as an

action research project for evolving innovations in technology transfer.

One of the objectives is “Capacity building and skill development of

primary and secondary stakeholders through knowledge sharing, collective

action and use of modern ICTs”.

The Project

Situation analysis through PRA exercises.

Information needs assessment .

Content development based on the needs assessed.

Institutionalization of the process ( KRCs,KSCs and IKU groups)

Building capacity of stakeholders in usage of services.

Monitoring and evaluation.

Sustainability & Scaling up.

Process of introducing ICT interventions

Sustainability efforts

Situational analysis PRA, FGI Benchmark survey INA

Content Development

Design of Content

evaluation, validation Addition of content based on feedback

Community Capacity building Mobilization

Institution mechanism Sensitization

Formation of Institutions exercises

IKU groups Awareness camps Strengthening of Institutions Exposure visits Publications

Identification of ICT Tools

Designing ICT services

ICT services establishment & stabilization

Touch screen kiosk

Display Announcement package

Internet, IVRS, Sasyavani

Feedback Monitoring

Corrective measures Evaluation

Repairs & Maintenance

.

Content addition of 53 other crops ( medicinal &

aromatic, oilseeds,spices ,horticulture crops etc to

the existing ten crops (Black gram Bengal gram

Cotton, Paddy, Redgram, Maize, Green gram, castor

etc )content . Content for livestock etc has also

been included based on the CRIDA publications

Community mobilizaton exercises and capacity

building through Kharif 2010 Refresher

Programmes, exposure vists and training

programme on use of services

Information needs assessment (contd,.)

Overall

65.00 64.17

55.00

38.36

20.55

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

Market related

information

Pest & disease

management

Improved

varieties/hybrids

Income

generating

enterprises

Govt schemes

Type of Information

% o

f re

sp

on

den

ts

Overall

IKU

Institutalization of Knowledge Share Centres

Knowledge Resource Centres-KRCs

Knowledge Share Centres-KSCs

KSC Ranga Reddy

KSC KSC KSC Anantapur KSC KSC KSC KSC

Adilabad Kadapa Khammam Mahabubnagar Warangal Nalgonda

Information & Knowledge Utilization Groups - IKU Groups

IKU IKU IKU IKU IKU IKU IKU Anantapur Adilabad Kadapa Khammam Ranga Reddy Mahabubnagar Warangal Nalgonda

CRIDA

3 tier institutional set up

ICTs reach and access to rural masses was planned through establishment of

KSCs .

Envisage the access to value added information services on latest tools and

technologies of agriculture.

Facilitates the sharing of data, information and the collective knowledge from

research, experiences and interaction with cluster partners

Knowledge Share Centres

KSC ( Knowledge Share Centre)

Average number of visitors per month

140.25

55.81

87.20

68.41

103.00

96.47

126.78

73.73

0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0 140.0 160.0

Ibrahimpur

Dupahad

Jamisthanpur

Pampanur

Seethagondi

B.Yerragudi

Thummalachruvu

Jaffergudem

Average no.of visitors per month

Visitor statistics

Information access through touch screen information kiosks(TSIK),

Queries addresal system through Interactive voice response

system, IVRS

Technology utilization through Internet

and Display announcement package (DAP) for farmers

Services available at KSCs

13

KSC Block Diagram

Printer

DAS- Display TV

WEB SITE

www.naipsrl.org

Interactive Information Kiosk

Modem

Farmer Telephone

Touch Screen

Monitor

Ethernet

Cable (cross)

IVRS PC

KIOSK

Telephone

Exchange

Telephone line

IVRS

UPS

Touch screen kiosks , provide

one stop access to information

needs of individual or group of

farmers with minimum literacy

standards

Kiosk allows users to navigate

for information on

•Crops cultivation practices,

•Agri inputs

•Crop diagnostic kit

•Management time table

•Farm machinery and

•market information etc,.

TOUCH SCREEN

INFORMATION KIOSK (TSIK)

Crop wise usage of TSIK services

Based on the data from eight clusters

TOUCH SCREEN INFORMATION KIOSK (TSIK) contd,.

Crop wise usage of (TSK)Crop No.of Users(%) from all Clusters

COTTON 15.05

MAIZE 10.45

PADDY 10.88

GROUNDNUT 9.16

CHILLIES 9.16

CASTOR 7.96

RED GRAM 10.84

GREEN GRAM 10.24

BLACK GRAM 9.33

Technology wise usage of TSIK services

TOUCH SCREEN INFORMATION KIOSK (TSIK) contd,.

24.3621.56

15.8118.38

12.86

7.03

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

Plant p

rote

ctio

n

Mar

ket i

nform

atio

n

Agri in

puts

Harves

ting

farm

mach

inery

Oth

ers

% o

f u

sers

Crop diagnostic kit ,Groundnut crop

Telugu version

Screen shots of Touch

screen information kiosk

Display Announcement Package (DAP)

Communication media to

address the needs of

medium to large group of

audience.

It displays the information

with voice input which can

serve the needs of illiterate

farmers.

Used to screen the films

that create awareness of the

improved technologies .

Interactive voice Response system (IVRS )

An IVRS is installed for answering to the farmers’ queries.

Pre recorded voice files guide the caller to avail the information

Farmer can avail the information with one call from the place

wherever he is.

Cluster

IVRS .NO

B.Yerragudi

9573784185

Jaffergudem

9573422705

Jamisthapur

9603970119

Dupahad

9666918427

Pampanur

08554-250999

Ibrahimpur

9705095621

Thummalacheruvu

9502647451

Seethagondi

08732-220459

CRIDA

9948380890

Ikisan

040- 23352436

Introduction of toll free IVRS number for all the

clusters from April 1,2011

1800 4252436

www.naipsrl.org homepage

English version

www.naipsrl.org

Telugu version

Website

www.naipsrl.org

ONLINE

VERSION

342

521

372

402

236

346

206

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Ibra

himpu

rDupahad

Jam

isth

anpu

rPam

panur

See

thag

ondi

B.Y

erra

gudi

Thum

mala

chru

vu

Average usage MB per month

INTERNET Usage

Introduction of Sasyavani facility

Text message (SMS)

Voice alerts

website

Total no.of respondents N=40 and figures in the table are expressed as percentage

values of multiple responses

Information preferences on mobile based advisories

The information services as demanded by the farmers, were weather alerts

(83% ) market based information ( 92%) and information on pest & disease

outbreak and management (63%)etc,.% of respondents

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Text meassages(SMS) Voice alerts Both

Preference towards mode of mobile based advisories

Total no.of respondents N=60 and figures in the table are expressed as percentage

values

Maintenance / sustainability options

The sustainability options as preferred by the farmers, were KSC to be with

Gram panchayat ( 52%) followed by Govt depts( 18%) and field NGOs (13%)

respectively.

18.33

8.33 13.33

3.33

51.67

3.33 1.67 0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

Maintenance /sustainability options

Sustainability efforts

Situational analysis PRA, FGI Benchmark survey INA

Content Development

Design of Content

evaluation, validation Addition of content based on feedback

Community Capacity building Mobilization

Institution mechanism Sensitization

Formation of Institutions exercises

IKU groups Awareness camps Strengthening of Institutions Exposure visits Publications

Identification of ICT Tools

Designing ICT services

ICT services establishment & stabilization

Touch screen kiosk

Display Announcement package

Internet, IVRS, Sasyavani

Feedback Monitoring

Corrective measures Evaluation

Repairs & Maintenance

Field schools, feedback and

documentation

Interaction with IKU ( information &

knowledge utilization )groups

Constraints / Issues

Operators performance

Community mobilisation

Connectivity

Cluster anchors support

Power problems

Financial sustainability

Publications Bulletins Poster

Awards and Recognition

The ICT initiative "Knowledge share centres" is selected as the winner under

Serving Citizens:Best ICT Initiative in Agriculture category of e‐Asia 2011

awards. This was adjudged by a panel of juries and declared at the e‐Asia

conference held at Dhaka, Bangaladesh during December 1‐3, 2011. The details

can be seen at http://www.e‐asia.org/2011/award‐finalist.aspx

Best Citizen's Choice award was presented under ‘ICT Enabled Agri Initiative’

category to Knowledge share centres of CRIDA in the e-World Conference held in

New Delhi (1-3 August, 2011)

Future needs & constraints

• Sustainability issues(Lack of sufficient revenue generation, maintenance

of infrastructure etc,.)

• Continuous up gradation and integration of emerging novel simplified

Communication technologies in e-Extension initiatives

• Convergence of state department, Agricultural University Research and

Extension Programmes with Knowledge share centres

• Research into service gaps in information delivery

• Development of user friendly software adaptable to user environment

• Cost effective agro advisory system, relevant to the local situation