Mainstreaming Farmers and Intermediaries Into Information and Communications Technology (ICT): A Strategy Towards Adopting ICT for Rural Development and Agricultural Extension

Recent developments in information and communications technology (ICT) offer a greatopportunity to facilitate the flow of information and technology services delivery especially to the farmers.However, while there are efforts already in place to boost and harness the potential of ICT for agriculturaldevelopment, literatures show that agricultural services intermediaries like extension workers, and farmersespecially those in the far-flung areas have yet to reap its benefits for varied reasons such as non-awareness,inadequate ICT infrastructure, non-strategic location of information centers and negative attitude towardsICT use. Mainstreaming farmers and intermediaries (technology promotion and commercialization agentsand agricultural extension workers) into ICTs requires both the physical and social infrastructure. Physicalinfrastructure consists of appropriate ICT tools for farmers’ adoption and use while the socialinfrastructure comprises strategies, techniques and conducive environment to mobilize them to proactivelyseek and utilize the ICT-based services. The challenge is not only to provide the farmers with access toinformation and support services but also to ensure their relevance to their needs and situations. End-usersespecially in the rural areas will have to be familiar with the uses of ICTs and the potential applications andappropriateness of content in their situation. As they are new to many of them, familiarity with thetechnologies will enable the end-users to consult the providers of information services to adapt and createtheir own content. This paper presents a model and application on how farmers and intermediaries’ can bemainstreamed into ICTs and eventually adopt them as tools to facilitate the flow of information andknowledge they need to put agricultural innovations and socio-economic opportunities to best use.