ICT to solve farmer problems
The only option to solve the problems faced by the farming community
is the appropriate use of ICT. This was stated by Information and
Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Re-engineering
Government Program Director Wasantha Deshapriya. He said so during his
address at the inaugural session of the Agricultural Extension
Conference 2009 held at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Gannoruwa,
Peradeniya.
Deshapriya said, ICTA having realised that the only option for
solving most farmer problems lies in the appropriate use of ICT, has
launched a variety of programs targeting the farming community.
Seventy per cent of the Sri Lankan population consist of rural
community. ICTA aims at making the benefits of ICT reach the people,
especially the rural folk in remote villages, Deshapriya emphasised.
Referring to the two-pronged approach of ICTA's farmer-friendly
projects the program director said ICTA is engaged in making the
benefits of ICT accrue to the people in two ways. One way is to provide
local knowledge, information and content connected with agriculture in
the vernacular via e-Society.
ICTA gives priority to projects organised with the aim of speedily
expediting the daily activities of the farming community.
A web based Wikipedia containing information related to all major
local crops enriched with audio, video and flash animation and a web
based e-learning system has been established. Nava Goviya, Toll-free
immediate provision of agriculture information and the project in
Dambadeniya for empowering dairy farmers are some of the projects
successfully implemented at the moment.
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