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Farmers Access to Information for Agricultural Development in Bangladesh

Roshidul Hasan
Computer Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh

Shefaul Islam
Assistant Manager (Electrical), Engineering Division, Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md Sayedur Rahman
Upazila Agriculture Officer, Baliakandi, Rajbari, Bangladesh

Jewel, K.N.A.
Invogue Limited, Niketon, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Agricultural information is played very important role to enhance the economical development of Bangladesh. The agriculture sector could leverage the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to disseminate the right information at the right time and right place. The cost factor in traditional information dissemination and the difficulties in reaching the target audiences have necessitated the introduction of ICT in agriculture. Information center is widely accepted to access timely information for precision farming. These initiatives are started in Bangladesh recently. The motivation of this study is to assess the influencing factors of information centers. The study also examined the issues affecting community uptake and appropriation of ICT services for agricultural development in Bangladesh. The study was supported by fieldwork on eight different models of information centers in Bangladesh. A sample of 144 respondents was interviewed. Three research methods were used for this study: survey interviews, focus group interviews, and an analysis of existing data. In the end, the article discussed the barriers and the outlook of ICT for agricultural development in Bangladesh. The result of this study could be useful to decision makers in improving the accessibilities for agricultural development.

Keywords: Information Center, Agricultural Development, ICT, Access to Information, Telecenter

Location: Computer Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur

Start Date: 00-11-2006

End Date: 00-05-2007

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Database Management

Objectives:

1. To address issues affecting community uptake and appropriation of ICT services for agricultural development in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The primary data and information was collected directly from the filed visit of the individual centers in different districts in Bangladesh. The visited districts were; Bagerhat, Khulna, Pabna, Bogra, Tangail, Chittagong, and Gazipur. The secondary data was also collected from the log book of the center, yearly report of the projects, different research papers, brochures, booklets, news letters, etc. Three research methods were used to conduct this study: survey interviews, focus group interviews and an analysis of existing data. We used both qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect data. We conducted the field work during November 2006 – May 2007. Our main source of data was direct interviews with the center users, neighbors, beneficiaries, and center operators. The study was conducted on eight different models of information centers of eight different organizations and sample of 144 respondents was interviewed from all relevant groups from Eight ICT4D projects area. The interviews were conducted in local Bengali languages and translated into English for analysis. Five different sets of questionnaires were designed and used for the research. The sample included members from all relevant groups in the community, including women, young people, and the elderly and key respondents such as community leaders.

Source of Information: BANGLADESH RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS JOURNAL; ISSN: 1998-2003, Volume: 2, Issue: 1, Page: 319-331, January - February, 2009

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

This study examined the impact of ICT services on the lives of the grass-root population and found some information center initiatives has improved the lives of rural people where it has reduced the digital gap between haves and have not. This study suggests to increase the agricultural productivity benefits for the poor and landless through their relevant information, income generating opportunities, and employment opportunities. As the vast majority of poor people live in rural areas and derived their livelihoods directly or indirectly from agriculture, support for farming should be a high priority for upcoming and existing information centers initiatives in Bangladesh. The center needs to deliver useful information to the farmers in the form of crop care and animal husbandry, fertilizer and feedstock inputs, droughts mitigation, pest control, irrigation, weather forecasting, seed sourcing and market prices. The university could contribute through research based on the community’s requirement and existing problem related to farming, and organization framework needs after assessment and provide a package to information centers movement for rural development. As ICT alone is insufficient for the livelihood development of the poor, it needs to be integrated with supporting technologies and infrastructure suitable for the rural communities. A network could be developed among practitioners, universities and researcher organizations to sustain the ICT initiative for the long term in Bangladesh.

Knowledge Management: Journal