Agriculture and New Information Technology

Enhancing the ability of farmers to connect with the knowledge, networks, information and institutions necessary to improve their productivity, food security, and employment opportunities is a fundamental development challenge. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play an important role in addressing these challenges and uplifting the livelihoods of the rural poor particularly in the developing economies. The new ICT includes digital devices such as computers, E-mail, internet, multimedia, video conference, mobile phones, iPods, satellites, GPS technology, Remote Sensing Technology, etc which have the potential of providing vast amount of relevant information to rural population in timely, wide-ranging and cost effective manner. Information about new opportunities in the market, prices of different inputs, quality and availability of inputs, prices and demand for different qualities, information about government policies, rules and regulations related to agricultural marketing, information on biological, chemical, meteorological aspects is the core requirements of the farming community. Information technology can be powerful catalyst for change and a great harbinger of prosperity and a high quality life. This article explores the potential contribution of ICT to the various sectors of agriculture in general and farmers in particular of developing countries and discusses the valuable contribution of ICT to Agriculture Knowledge Management, gathering, storing, retrieving, and disseminating innovations needed by rural farm families and linkages between research and extension systems.