The SMS service gives farmers the possibility to receive personal information about their own fields, for their own crops. eLEAF has recently developed the tools that take the quantitative, spatial information that is available on the Fieldlook platform and transform this into qualitative information that can directly be interpreted by the farmers.
The Text Message Service consist of 2 parts:
The agricultural information is derived from the Information Packages that are visible on the FieldLook Website and are based on weekly updated, high resolution satellite imagery. It compares the current status on biomass growth and water use efficiency of the crop on a field with the status of fields with the same crops in the same development stage. Information is provided on whether the farmer's field is under performing, has an average performance on these points, or if the field is out performing other fields.
The irrigation Planner service gives advice to the farmer on when to irrigate his fields. This service is interactive and needs input from the user on when actual irrigation has taken place. The interactive text message service allows for this communication.
Farmers need to be registered with their field boundaries, crop- and planting info and their mobile telephone number on the FieldLook Platform. A capacity Building Session has been organized to familiarize users on how to work with the platform and how to register fields and users. In Ethiopia, a local IFAD focal person has gathered the relevant information from 60 pilot farmers in the Arata Chufa Irrigation Scheme. These fields have been entered and the farmers will be actively guided. Any user is welcomed to register on the website with the necessary information free of charge, so they can participate in the Text Messaging Service.
Registered users/farmers can request information and advice by sending a SMS to a local number (only 0.35 Birr / 0.019 USD for sending a SMS). The text messages that users receive are free of charge.
Website: http://www.smartict-africa.com/EN/
Countries: Ethiopia