SMS-based ICT tool for knowledge sharing in agriculture

Abstract

Agriculture is the world's major industry with 60% of the global population depending on it. Being the major source of livelihood, agriculture is challenged by issues such as food shortage, food security problems, climate change affecting crop yield, land degradation, decrease of crop varieties and others. There is a huge amount of knowledge products generated by the government agencies, local universities, private civic groups, local government units and non-government organizations (NGOs) to address these issues however the information has difficulty reaching the intended farm practitioners as end-user. With this aforesaid challenge, a technology based information sharing and access among stakeholders such as agricultural knowledge experts (academe) and knowledge end-users (farmers) is a dire need. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has always been an indispensable tool that can provide an environment where knowledge generators and knowledge users can use to exchange information any time and place. Retooling and scaling up the process how information and knowledge products is being accessed and shared is indeed a critical consideration. Using descriptive research and qualitative approach, this study determined an ICT tool, a managed SMS-based system to be highly acceptable to the identified stakeholders as an information sharing medium and model and is therefore recommended for use. The result of this research shall serve as an implementation guide for government, non-government organizations(NGOs), extension service providers, system integrators, researchers, and other related groups offering or planning to engage in similar service.