Agriculture needs ICT boost

Ahmad Kushairi from nst
2008/08/17

   INTEGRATING information and communications technology (ICT) into local agriculture is one of the efforts that will be taken by the Government to help make agriculture the third-biggest sector of the economy.

This new approach also aims to pave the way for agricultural products to enter the international market, especially the developed countries, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.

According to him, the application of ICT, along with the implementation of other agri-based programmes, will ensure that the country produces more quality products to meet international standards, which is important to break into overseas markets.

Talks about ICT integration into local agriculture are not new. This idea has been bandied about under efforts to modernise the agriculture sector, which has long been plagued by low yields, dwindling resources, obsolete methods and a host of other issues. While there have been some positive moves made by the relevant authorities, the sector has yet to embrace ICT in a big way. Possible factors that stand in the way include resistance to change by the agriculture community, low awareness level of technology and funding issues. But these should not discourage further action. Efforts to modernise the local agriculture sector with more innovative means, including using ICT, must continue. There is so much to be gained by doing so, in as far as positioning the sector as a key contributor to the local economy. At the same time, the private sector needs to be more proactive in helping to take agriculture one step higher and make the Government’s vision a reality. The ICT fraternity, for example, can help by lending expertise on how the relevant technology can be applied to benefit the agriculture sector, from production to marketing. They can also help by coming up with programmes to create more awareness on the importance of ICT within the community and by training the folks in such areas as computer literacy.

To bring agriculture to the forefront of the nation’s activities, the pervasive use of ICT in the sector should be a top priority. Any success here will revolutionise local agriculture.