ict_agriculture_extension_marketing.doc

ICT in Agriculture Extension and Marketing in Malawi and Mozambique Research Report Nairobi, 21st April 2005 Marcel Werner ARCHWAY Technology Management  Table of Contents 1 Acknowledgements 4 2 Abbreviations 5 3 Executive Summary 6 3.1.1 Adoption of ICT 6 3.1.2 Internet activity 6 3.1.3 Use of information and media 6 3.1.4 Outreach 7 4 Introduction 8 5 Methodology 9 5.1 Selection criteria 9 5.2 Research activities 9 6 Malawi 11 6.1 Overview of agricultural service providers 11 6.1.1 Ministry of Agriculture 11 6.1.2 Extension services 11 6.1.3 Farmer focus groups 13 6.2 ICT-readiness service providers 14 6.3 Information service practice 15 6.3.1 Roundtable 1: ICT, Content and Culture 15 6.3.2 Roundtable 2: Information and Outreach 17 6.3.3 Survey results 18 6.4 Description of the ICT industry 19 6.4.1 ICT Sector Regulation 19 6.4.2 ISPs 19 6.4.3 Mobile Telecommunication Operators 20 6.4.4 Fixed Line Telecommunications 22 6.4.5 Mass media 22 6.4.6 Community radios 23 6.4.7 Telecentres 24 7 Mozambique 26 7.1 Overview of agricultural service providers 26 7.1.1 Ministry of Agriculture 26 7.1.2 Parastatals 27 7.1.3 NGO’s and Private Sector 28 7.1.4 Farmer focus groups 28 7.2 ICT-readiness service providers 29 7.3 Information service practice 29 7.3.1 Roundtable : ICT, Content and Culture 29 7.3.2 Survey results 30 7.4 Description of the ICT industry 31 7.4.1 ICT Sector Regulation 31 7.4.2 ISPs 32 7.4.3 Mobile Telecommunication Operators 34 7.4.4 Fixed Line Telecommunications 36 7.4.5 Mass media 37 7.4.6 Community Radios 38 7.4.7 Telecentres 39 8 Comparisons between Malawi and Mozambique 41 8.1 Service Providers Quality of Service 41 8.2 Network Sharing 41 8.3 ICT affordability challenges 42 8.4 ICT-readiness 43 8.4.1 Telecentres 44 8.4.2 Smart Cards 45 9 Recommendations 46 10 Annexes 47 10.1 Listings participants in the study 47 10.1.1 Roundtable Malawi 25 November 2004 47 10.1.2 Roundtable Malawi 16 February 2005 47 10.1.3 Roundtable Mozambique 24 March