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Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development

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Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development BRIEFING PAPER SOFTWARE PLATFORMS FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION related service provider that they work TYPES OF MOBILE This briefing paper is one of a series of with) to reduce the total costs of ICT APPLICATION interventions and the risks associated briefing papers to help USAID missions PLATFORMS and their implementing partners in sub- with their development. For the purposes of this paper, we will focus on A number of platforms are available Saharan Africa use information and today and have already been described in communications technology (ICT) more platforms that have a mobile phone 3 component. other FACET papers2F . The lists below successfully —via sustainable and scalable are meant to illustrate and compare the approaches—to improve the impact of different types of platforms and are not Key Terms Used in This Paper their agriculture related development meant to be an exhaustive list of projects including Feed the Future 1 Software platform for mobile platforms. projects.0F The objective of this paper on software platforms for mobile applications (―mobile application platform‖ or ―platform‖ for short) – a pre-packaged 1. Mobile Application Platform applications for agriculture development ICT solution that delivers content and Purpose is to provide an overview of information services on a mobile phone, manages the The platforms differ in multiple ways as that will help distinguish between the content, and may or may not include hosting shown in the tables below. One way in options and enable decision-makers to as well as other services related to managing which they differ is whether or not the make a more informed choice. This and operating the platform. platform was originally designed paper is intended for those without ICT specifically for the agriculture sector. technical skills although it may be a Platform provider – the entity that develops and sells or distributes the software The ―General Purpose‖ tools are helpful tool for these readers to use as applicable to and being used across a they discuss options with ICT platform, such as an NGO like Frontline SMS, 2 a social enterprise (for-profit entity with a variety of sectors, such as health, professionals.1F social mission), or a for-profit private sector democracy and governance, natural firm like Microsoft. It may also be a resource management, and humanitarian A variety of mobile application platforms consortium of partners. relief operations as well as agriculture. for agriculture have come onto the Some of the best work on mobile market to address different issues in the Software as a service (SaaS) – a model application platforms has been done in developed in the private sector and adopted agriculture value chain. Few USAID the health sector, so these platforms projects take advantage of such in recent years by technology providers serving the development sector, where the should be considered even if they have platforms or seriously weigh them as an been used only in non-agriculture option, instead opting for custom customer accesses the software and hardware over the Internet, via a web sectors. A few examples are included in software development (that is, software browser, instead of purchasing the software Table 1 below. developed ―from scratch‖ albeit often and hardware and hosting it on their own using pre-built software components) premises. The SaaS providers host the 3 FACET profile papers are available for many and thereby underestimating the full software on their own hardware at a data of these mobile application platforms costs and risks of such an approach. center. mentioned, providing a one-page description These platforms (defined below) can be of the platform. See: used by USAID projects (and the ICT- Implementer – An entity, such as an NGO https://communities.usaidallnet.gov/ictforag/d working with a farmer group, a USAID- ocument-library/ict-and-ag-profiles funded project team, or a ministry of 1 ICT includes cell phone and Internet agriculture, that has acquired the platform services, radio, a wide range of digital devices and is implementing it for use by the and related tools including cameras, agricultural community by populating it with geographic information systems, and a wide content, training the community on how to range of hand-held computing devices. use the system, and has overall responsibility 2 For further assistance, USAID mission or for managing the use of the platform. project staff can contact the FACET project or an ICT services advisor. 1 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 Table 1 – Mobile Application Platform Purpose Intended Purpose Platform Brief Description Example Uses and Locations 4 General Purpose FrontlineU SMSU3F Text messaging system, both Cambodia (crop price information plus inbound and outbound other services); Ivory Coast (info on the world market for the cashew value 5 chain); Kenya (farming advice via SMS4F and radio); Niger (market prices and literacy); Tanzania (post-training evaluation by coffee farmers via SMS); Zambia (climate information alerts) DataDyneU EpiSurveyor U EpiSurveyor is a web-based Used worldwide app for surveys. DataDyne’s roots are in public health but the tools are used across multiple sectors. 6 GoogleU TraderU5F Google Trader is a trading Uganda, Ghana system, like classified ads or a bulletin board for buyers and sellers to find each other. Adapted to SouU ktel – Farm Price SMS Service U Market price information Farm Price SMS - Uganda; Souktel - Agriculture (adapted from existing Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan JobMatch service) Africa 7 Voxiva’sU eSokoU6F Market price information Rwanda - Ministry of Agriculture and (adapted from the Voxiva Animal Resources [MINAGRI], Covers public health information 78 commodities in 50 markets system) DataDyneU Mobile Information MIP is a general purpose text Chile – market prices for 9 crops and Platform (MIP) U messaging system that is 825 producers currently being adaptedU in Chile U for agriculture with several partners providing content and technology Agriculture Specific EsokoU U Mobile-based agriculture Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, market information exchange Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, for individuals and businesses Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Northern Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia GoogleU Farmer’s Friend U Farmer's Friend provides farm Uganda extension-type services IFFCOU Kisan Sanchar Limited Voice-based agriculture India, 3 million users, 15 call centers (IKSL)U information service serving 18 states 8 KenCallU ’s M-KilimoU7F Voice-based farm extension Kenya – market prices for 41 service (they are testing SMS commodities in 8 markets, 30,000 for some info) via a call unique subscribers center ManobiU U Market information system Senegal (food security, mango, beans, with related agriculture fishing) information services Mali (mango) Cote d'Ivoire (cashew) Niger (food security) 4 See cases of FrontlineSMS for agriculture at http://www.frontlinesms.com/tag/agriculture/ 5 SMS stands for Short Message Service, which is the text messaging capability available on mobile networks and on all mobile phones. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS for more information. 6 Google Trader and Farmer’s Friend were developed by a partnership between Google, Grameen Foundation, and MTN Uganda and are based on Google SMS and its SMS Tips feature currently offers tips and advice on health, clinic locations, and agriculture. See also http://google- africa.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-sms-to-serve-needs-of-poor-in.html 7 This is the name of the service used in Rwanda where it has been implemented. It is important to note that this is an entirely different system from Esoko, which has a very similar name and is developed by a Ghanaian firm. 8 KenCall is a contact center business and launched M-Kilimo as a CSR initiative. See http://www.kencall.com/index.php/site/kenya_farmers_helpline/ 2 Software Platforms for Mobile Applications for Agriculture Development Last updated October 2011 Intended Purpose Platform Brief Description Example Uses and Locations Agriculture Specific NokiaU Life Tools (NLT)U Mobile information service India – 275 crops, 5000+ markets and (information via text message traders across 22 states on Agriculture, Education, China – 100 crops, 2000+ markets and Healthcare and traders Entertainment) – available Indonesia – 200 crops, 201 markets only on select Nokia phones across 33 provinces Nigeria – 25 crops, 111 markets across 36 states ReutersU Market Light (RML) U Market and agriculture India – 250 crops, 250,000 farmers in information system 13 states TechnoBrainU BioReg GRSU Biometrically-registered Malawi – Tobacco Control grower registration system Commission, 400,000 farmers are for regulated commodities registered in the system The ―General Purpose‖ platforms countries, being one of the first to instance, the BioReg GRS system was offer functionality that serves a offer access from wireless devices. custom developed by TechnoBrain, a broad need, such as sending text Souktel’s system arose out of their Microsoft partner based in Tanzania messages to a number of people and well-known JobMatch service, in this and operating in East Africa, for the receiving text messages from people, case adapted to allow farmers to Tobacco Control Commission so there is less pre-built functionality advertise the goods they have for (TCC) of Malawi to improve their for specific needs like agriculture sale and buyers to view the goods operations. The TCC’s role is to market prices for multiple varieties and prices. The system is in the pre- regulate the production, of a crop. However these platforms launch phase so there are no farmers manufacture, and marketing of 10 provide the ability to customize the using the system at the moment.9F tobacco and the BioReg GRS system system, such as the ability to define Souktel’s platform is also used today provides an integrated set of contact groups or to create surveys, in South Sudan for getting listener functionality to register farmers using through the use of forms that a non- feedback by community radios.
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