ICT has especially become the buzzword in recent years as the global economy has become more inter-linked and thriving on the immediate transmission of information from one location to another.
Against this background, Tanzania can not afford to miss out on the chance to reap from ICT potentials. E-health, e-commerce, e-government, e-education, e-learning etc, which have become part and parcel of the modern day vocabulary, all connote one thing, the application of ICT in the various sectors.
Most experts agree that agriculture is the most vital sector for ICT intervention going by the fact that majority of the population around the world rely on it to sustain their livelihoods. Indeed agriculture is the leading sector of the economy in Tanzania and accounts for over half of the Gross Domestic Product and export earnings.
In fact about 80 per cent of the population live and earn their living in rural areas where agriculture is the mainstay of their living. It has been proved that farmers who have better access to ICT have better lives because they have access to price information. They are informed of the accurate current prices and the demands of the products.
Hence, they are able to competitively negotiate in the agricultural economy and their incomes will be improved. However, environmental threats such as climate change, drought and pests render farmers’ livelihoods unstable, hence it is hoped that flow of information regarding new techniques in production would open up new opportunities to farmers by documenting and sharing their experiences.
ICT also comes handy because through the flow of information from the farmers to policy makers, a favourable policy on development and sustainable growth of the agriculture sector will be achieved. However, despite the numerous advantages of ICT, the local farmer is largely still lagging behind.
He remains hooked to the hand hoe, exploited by middle men who buy his crops at low price and making super profit by reselling or exporting the same to cities or neighbouring ountries. Experts note that the slow ICT adaptation of rural areas is a cause of concern, as they are already under extreme pressures from an over-reliance on a decreasing agricultural sector, ageing populations, and poor access to services.
Ideally, local farmers should be able to benefit from updated information like prices, production techniques, services, storage and processing, which can be addressed by the effective use of ICT such as the Internet, mobile phone, and other digital technologies.
In reality though, the local farmer is not well informed about prices, markets and farm inputs, or new technological innovations, hence need for the government to embark on massive ICT investment in rural areas.
However, it is encouraging to note that the government has seen the need to invest in ICT in rural areas as attested by the Vice -President Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal who promised last week that the government was out to ensure communication services reach remote areas to help transform agriculture and other social economic services such as education and health.
His remarks are in line with President Jakaya Kikwete’s resolve to make sure Tanzania joins the Global Information Highway by investing in ICT through implementation of the national ICT broadband backbone and formulation of policies and guidelines for development of the sector to make sure its benefits reach all.
Indeed, ICT development and investment in rural areas has the potential to alleviate poverty and improve the living conditions of societies. Addressing the participants at the 14th ordinary session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), Dr Bilal said the new ICT backbone is beginning to make its mark, with the expansion of ICT coverage in rural and underserved communities.
In the same vein, the visiting Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, Alexander Stubb announced his country’s readiness to work with Tanzanian farmers, with a view to educate and give them important information on farming activities through technology.
He was gracing the launch of a partnership that will enable farmers to access important information on farming through their mobile phones. As pointed out earlier, ICT is central not only to the production process but also to other aspects of human life and activity such as governance, tourism, education and health where when used it stimulates efficiency and improve services. As observed by President Kikwete, it is indisputable that the pace of Tanzania’s development will necessarily rely upon the extent and depth of the ICT Revolution, especially in agriculture.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Chaby Barasa
Quelle/Source: Daily News, 01.06.2013
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