Browsing by Author "Mlozi, Malongo R."

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Experimenting open agricultural extension service in Tanzania: A case of Kilosa Open Data Initiative (KODI)
(Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2016) Sanga, Camilius A.; Masamaki, Joseph Phillipo; Fue, Kadeghe G.; Mlozi, Malongo R.; Tumbo, Siza D.
This paper presents results from the application of Open Data System to improve coverage of agricultural extension services using web-based and mobile-based farmers‘ advisory information Ushaurikilimo in Kilosa District. The research adopted a participatory action research method to develop the interventions. The findings from this study show that farmers and other actors get timely, relevant and personalized advisory services. The user interface of the Open System hosting Open Data is in Swahili language, a language widely spoken in the study area, which enhanced adoption of the system. The Open System did not require farmers and other actors to pay for the services, which motivated to attract farmers and actors to adopt the system. In order to lower the cost of implementing the project, agricultural extension officers in study villages were used to receive questions from farmers and provided answers, and sent difficulty questions to experts from Sokoine University of Agriculture to answer via their mobile phones.