ICT propels farming into future

The use of ICT in agriculture is shaping the way farmers manage operations and sell goods, with real-time monitoring and mobile markets emerging as promising tools.

Cornelis Amoraal, director of agricultural automation solutions provider AgriFarm, says using ICT has become an effective way of operating farms, as in the past almost everything had to be done manually.

Checking a pivot in the irrigation system, for example, would require the farmer to go out to the actual field, often at night, bringing security risks. “With the latest technology, through automation, RFID or even a cellphone, you can switch the pivot on or off with the push of a button,” says Amoraal.

He adds that automation reduces the need to rely on a big workforce to operate numerous pivots.

“Previously, workers had to walk to an area to open, close or change valves manually, reporting back later in the day. If something hasn't been done, the farmer only finds out much later when the tree comes under stress, and then it's too late.

“Now, with new technology, you can immediately measure this via the wetness of the soil and other information readily available on your PC screen, or even in your hand on a mobile phone.”

Amoraal explains that while using ICT in farming has been around for some time, opening pumps and pivots based on real-time information feedback, such as water flow, is something that's been gaining momentum in the past few years.

“It's still a very young approach in agriculture and is only really taking off now. But we foresee great growth in this area.”

Konstantinos Tzingakis, director of innovations at Ericsson, says many farming methodologies are tried and tested, and don't need to be changed. “But as the world speeds up, so the farming industry needs to play a bit of catch-up.”

He points out that farming is still the livelihood of many individuals in developing nations, and with limited resources and few continuity measures, the right information at the right time makes all the difference.

“There's an important need for farmers to stay connected with what's happening on their fields and in the market, as well as keeping in touch with fellow farmers and industry trends. All these things are now starting to come together.”

Tzingakis says solutions that were implemented several years ago, and tended to be more expensive, are now making their way into the mainstream. “With the advent of mobile broadband and higher speeds and utilising bandwidth better, more real-time information can be sent and accessed.”

Sam Katengeza, a researcher in agricultural economics in Malawi, says previously, the monitoring and collection of environmental data was done and analysed manually. “The development of databases has automatically enhanced the efficiency of analysing data, at the same time accelerating the speed of measuring, using and analysing agricultural information.”

Tzingakis says the more accurate the data available, the better for farmers. “The reality is, based on topographical or weather information, a farmer can change what crop he's going to grow almost down to a couple of 100 metres per block.”

Also, as climate and temperature changes affect harvest times, environment-related information can help improve farming strategies in the face of highly variable conditions. Tzingakis cites a research project Ericsson is involved in, where remote monitoring is being used in vineyards in Tuscany to help farmers improve their organic farming methods.

Wireless sensors in the vineyard send information through a GPRS system, with vine growers being able to access the data online, the company explains. This real-time monitoring allows the owners to plan fertiliser use, save water, and reduce the use of pesticides.

Other key impacts of ICT are in the areas of markets and production, says Katengeza, as access to accurate, timely market information enables farmers to produce goods based on demand.

“Farmers, especially in poorer areas, have had difficulties in accessing better paying markets for their agricultural produce, due to lack of market information,” he explains. “With the advent of ICTs, information is readily available and farmers are able to make rational decisions regarding where to sell their commodity and at what prices.”

As the world speeds up, so the farming industry needs to play a bit of catch-up.

Konstantinos Tzingakis, director of innovations at Ericsson.

Another trend is connecting farmers from a community point of view, states Tzingakis. “Farmers can interact with one another to bring their experience not only to the traditional farming area, but to poorer, rural markets, so they can buy and sell what they need using mobile technology.”

He says one can take the very basic concept of a farmer having a phone to find out where the best price is, and develop it into a digital community, which farmers subscribe to. In this way, they can get daily or even hourly information about prices, Tzingakis explains.

“It creates a type of informal stock exchange, where people in specific villages are in contact with farmers in outlying areas, and they're constantly updating prices on boards in public centres. The natural evolution is obviously formalising this, and creating a portal people can log onto remotely.”

Other applications include looking at different spins on old uses, he points out. “The concept of social networks like Facebook, for example, is well established - what about using them for farming communities to interact and find prices?”

Another key development is mobile business systems, which allow farmers to actually trade produce using mobile networks, Tzingakis notes. “Also, don't underestimate the value of services like mobile money - that can really become tool for subsistence farmers to sustain their business.”

Despite the many advantages, there are various challenges when it comes to greater integration of ICT in agriculture. These are largely dependent on the market, says Tzingakis. “In more traditional African rural areas, there's the obvious issue of cost, and trying to create a sustainable solution.”

It also involves understanding, he adds, as it is an old industry and people are often reluctant to change. “They're not aware and don't understand how this could benefit them. Finding people who are willing to experiment and branch out and try these things can be challenging.”

Amoraal says there's still a way to go in understanding the concept of using ICT and the marketing of products, because traditional co-ops don't support the technology.

“Current commercial farmers and farmers in line to take over - people between the ages of 35 and 50 - are more likely to utilise technology because they're used to things like cellphone banking, which the older generation is not so comfortable with,” he explains.

“It's still a new approach to farming and you've got to transform farmers' way of thinking, because there's obviously also capital outlay involved.”

According to Amoraal, there needs to be more capital and training to advance IT in the farming community, and to bring exposure to solutions. But, he adds, the future looks bright: “I expect it to be slow to take off in the next 24 to 36 months, but after that it'll be on a roll.”

In Africa specifically, coverage also remains a prohibiting factor, says Tzingakis. “The most important issue is connectivity - making sure farmers can connect everything they need to.”

He notes that connectivity encompasses multiple aspects. “In rural areas, it's not just about increasing coverage, but also, are farmers within that coverage connected to markets, other farmers, and the right information services?” For more advanced farmers, this entails connectivity to things like sensors and wireless tags for cattle tracking, for example, says Tzingakis.

Christo Helm, Africa manager for Topcon Precision Agriculture, agrees that the availability of fast data communication, 3G or better, is key: “If we had good 3G cover on farms, the farmer could invest in lower cost communication equipment and service providers could give more effective support.”

He adds this is vital if future solutions like affordable, high-accuracy navigation systems, as well as remote monitoring and assistance, are to be realised.

As the global population inches closer to the seven billion mark, Tzingakis notes that efficient farming could be a major driver in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and setting the continent up as the world's bread basket. “By connecting millions of existing subsistence farmers to one another, you can create a mass industry of produce,” he states.

“Africa has some of the most valuable, untapped, fertile land in the world and the population to turn that land into a gold mine of food production. But it's about connecting those people and giving them tools to make life easier, by enabling greater access and retrieval of information, using mobile networks.”

Katengeza notes that greater use of ICT has enabled increased agricultural production in places like Malawi, improving household food security, which had previously been an issue. “Malawi is currently enjoying a bumper yield of which the fertiliser subsidy has greatly contributed. However, the fertiliser subsidy couldn't have made a significant impact to Malawi if not for ICT.”

“We've only begun to scratch the surface of what can be done in terms of ICT in agriculture,” says Tzingakis. “As connectivity improves, there will come a stage when mobile markets will give farmers the ability to adjust farming tactics and produce overnight,” he explains.

“But there still needs to be a lot of innovation around how to use that connectivity - just bringing coverage to areas is not good enough; what are you going to use it for?”

He says many individuals, especially in Africa, are coming up with fantastic ideas on how to leverage this increasing connectivity. ”There are exciting times lying ahead.”

Katengeza adds that as long as most farmers have the capability to grasp and use new technologies, “the agricultural industry will be highly rated, as most of the problems that are due to food insecurity, environmental degradation, and many more will be drastically reduced”.