Centre for Information Communication Technology

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Browsing Centre for Information Communication Technology by Author "Haug, Ruth"

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    Analyzing usage of crowdsourcing platform Ushaurikilimo' by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Tanzania
    (International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2016-12) Fue, Kadeghe; Geoffrey, Anna; Mlozi, M.R.S.; Tumbo, Siza, D.; Haug, Ruth; Sanga, Camilius, A.
    Earlier studies report that agricultural extension service for livestock keepers in Tanzania is not effectively offered. ‘Ushaurikilimo’ which is a crowdsourcing platform consisting of a Web and Mobile based agro-advisory system. It is a system which complements the traditional agricultural extension provided to pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. Mobile crowdsourcing for agricultural extension service is an emerging approach to address some of the problems experiencing in traditional agricultural extension service. This study explored the information seeking pattern of livestock keepers who are using ‘Ushaurikilimo’. In total 1739 questions are in ‘Ushaurikilimo’. Out of 1739 questions and answers, the study concentrated on 1312 questions since 427 questions related to forestry. Out of 1312 questions submitted to ‘Ushaurikilimo’ via livestock keepers’ mobile phones, 605 (47%) questions relate to livestock and 53% relate to crops. Most livestock keepers asked questions with keywords related to chicken, pigs and milk from ‘Ushaurikilimo’ knowledge base. Further data mining analysis showed that the following keywords are the most queried information by livestock keepers: poultry management, poultry equipment and accessories, hatching equipment, feed equipment, feed storage, feed manufacturing machinery, product handling/transport equipment, quality testing equipment and energy saving equipment, milk processing, housing and environment, building materials and equipment, feeds and feeding, food preservation, feed additives and dairy products. In this study, the pattern of information seeking behavior of livestock keepers matched the pattern which has been reported earlier by other researchers who explored the information seeking behavior of livestock keepers who are using other sources of information such as newspapers, television, radio, farmers’ friends and extension agents. One peculiar result from this study is that the average response time after the question had been assigned to an expert to answer was 32.49 hours. Thus, the crowdsourcing platform, web and mobile based agro-advisory system proved to be effective compared to conventional agricultural extension methods. This calls for a need to scale up ‘Ushaurikilimo’ to complement the traditional agricultural extension service in Tanzania.
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    If technology is the answer, what does it take?
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016) Haug, Ruth; Hella, Joseph P.; Msolla, Susan Nchimbi; Mwaseba, Dismas L.; Synnevag, Gry
    This article aims to assess why technology such as improved crop varieties has not taken off in Tanzania in spite of substantial efforts, and to consider what role policy plays in that regard. Few farmers use improved varieties due to reasons such as affordability in relation to the low profitability of farming; high risk, including fake seed in the market; and unpredictable policies and marketing opportunities. Effective governance is needed for agriculture to be transformed in the direction stated in national policy documents, but weak institutions and the collective interests of farmers not being sufficiently recognised hinder the likelihood of necessary technological changes happening. Cet article cherche à évaluer pourquoi les technologies comme les variétés de cultures améliorées n’ont pas décollé en Tanzanie, malgré des efforts considérables, et à réfléchir au rôle que les politiques générales jouent à cet égard. Rares sont les agriculteurs qui ont utilisé les variétés améliorées, ce pour des raisons comme l’accessibilité par rapport à la faible rentabilité de l’agriculture ; les risques importants, y compris les fausses semences présentes sur le marché ; et des politiques et opportunités de commercialisation imprévisibles. Il faut une gouvernance efficace pour que l’agriculture puisse être transformée de la manière présentée dans les documents de politiques nationales, mais la faiblesse des institutions et le fait que les intérêts collectifs des agriculteurs ne sont pas suffisamment reconnus entravent la possibilité de changements technologiques suffisants. El presente artículo propone valorar las razones por las cuales, a pesar de los importantes esfuerzos realizados, en Tanzania no ha sido adoptada la tecnología —por ejemplo, aquella que ha producido variedades mejoradas de cultivos. Asimismo, el artículo señala que es necesario comprender el papel que en este sentido desempeñan las políticas públicas. Se constata que muy pocos campesinos utilizan las variedades mejoradas, lo cual responde a diversas razones: la accesibilidad a las mismas en relación con la pobre rentabilidad que deja el cultivo; el alto riesgo generado por la incertidumbre en el mercado, donde se evidencia, por ejemplo, la existencia de semillas espurias; las impredecibles políticas públicas y oportunidades de venta. Por lo que, para transformar la agricultura en el sentido trazado por los documentos de políticas nacionales, se requiere contar con un gobierno efectivo. Sin embargo, la presencia de instituciones débiles y la poca atención prestada a los intereses colectivos de los campesinos disminuyen la probabilidad de impulsar las necesarias transformaciones tecnológicas.