Category:
Economic Development
Location:
Mziki Village KwaZulu Natal South Africa
Mgalakwena Village Limpopo Province S.A.
Summary:
In as much as Tele-medicine has shown how the highest medical skills can be brought to remote areas, Tele-cultivation, utilizing mobile phone, Information Communication technology [ICT] and satellite GPS access can make the vital link between sources of agricultural knowledge as a ‘Real Time’ horticultural extension service through a specially established clearing house ‘Agricultural Technical Support Facility’ [ATSF]
Vision, objectives and goals:
Vision:
"A cell phone can help end hunger"
Objective:
The combination of Tele-Cultivation and Natural Circle Cultivation returns sustainable agriculture to the small-scale farmer and families for the initial service for Food Security.
Milestone : Starting 2010
Goal:
The objective of the Royal House of KwaZulu, as Directed by HRH King Zwelethini Goodwill is to invite the 288 Traditional Leaders to replicate the Mziki project, including the application in schools to improve their nutrition and learning abilities, and in prisons for their rehabilitation and employment in rural areas upon release.
Milestone : To be an on-going operation expected to attain the Millennium Development Goal of reducing Hunger before the 2015 deadline
The role of ICT:
THE APPLICATION OF TELE-CULTIVATION
1. Pre-production : Site Analysis.
Planning begins with Satellite surveys on the suitability of agricultural potential of an area with an initial analysis of :
Geographic location
Soil analysis
Location of markets and transport links and distances
Crops that can be grown according to climatic and seasonal conditions
2. Start-up production
The emergent farmer can begin a low-risk entry as a process of ‘Learning by doing’
Training and follow-up information has been designed on a ‘need to know’ basis
Training material can be down-loaded from the Tele-Cultivation web-site as required.
3. Plant Diseases and pests
The use of a mobile-phone digital camera identifies problems which can be identified
immediately and appropriate actions to be taken
Advice and records can be kept for future reference
4. GPS Satellite Monitoring
The satellite coverage and imaging can provide :
Weather patterns and forecasts
Regular pictures of the precision of the Circle farm layout,
The accurate growth and estimates of production
5. Orders and Payments
The Agricultural Technical Support Facility can
research, identify, motivate and send specific orders to the farmer, including contractual agreements on delivery, dates and payments.
Banking facilities support :
Start-up payments for production made directly to a supplier so that all the farmer needs is to collect the items.
6. Marketing and sales
Agricultural Technical Support Facility is structured to provide guidance
To all relevant public and private sector institutions for meeting market requirements.
The farmer can use his cell-phone :
To keep contact with markets and compare current prices.
7. Statistical Surveys
Feed-back from all the evidence is transferred from the Agricultural Technical Support Facility to all appropriate public and private sector institutions.
Target groups and impact:
The Zulu Royal House has targeted the renewal of rural areas, starting with the aim of Food Security and using the root irrigation system of natural circle cultivation
Impacts
1.This method has proven to save up to 80% of water that is conventionally lost in overhead irrigation. It also reduces the time and effort of women collecting water
2. A further significant aspect of this method is that it is capable of scaling up from subsistence to to full commercially viable farming
3. Is in accordance with the WSSD requirements and WWF objectives
[ see www.natural-circle-cultivation.co.za for details]
Achievements, milestones and wins:
1. The Software for Tele-Cultivation has been written by the distinguished S.A. Flashmedia Group
The following participants will be greatly assisted by the Real Time [ 24/7] Extension service of Tele-cultivation - especially when the next phase of development will take place in incorporating the latest banking facilities
2. Natural Circle Cultivation gained a World Bank Development Market Place Award 2000,
3. Since then, the method has been subjected to continuous research and development with the creation of Manuals that can be transferred digitally as back-ups to the formal training
4. The Zulu Royal House chose the remote Mziki Village who in turn have chosen 30 participants who have been trained in the natural circle cultivation method and now require the Tele-Cultivation services to benefit their enterprise.
5. WESSA [ Wildlife Environment Society of S.A. [ Affiliated to WWF ] are furthering the cause of Food Security with their Eco-Schools projects [ + 1000 ] which will include circle cultivation and Tele-cultivation
6. Rotary International have advised all District Governors in the SADC region by Past Governor Shirley Downie and a special web page is planned for their 'Reach out to Africa' sub-committee to advise on the existence of the system and methods
7. “Mission I M Possible” an initiative by Dr Ivan Jardine to address the HIV/AIDS issue by improving the nutrition of sufferers – especially focusing on householders – has chosen circle cultivation as the method to be used
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