The Federal Government on Wednesday said that no fewer than 10 million cell phones would be distributed to farmers to boost agricultural production in the country. Mrs Ibukun Odusote, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this at a sensitisation programme for farmers at Igan-Ipabi. In Ijebu-East Local Government Area of Ogun.
She said the distribution of the cell phones was one of the steps being taken by the ministry to ensure food security in Nigeria. Odusote said that the Ministry of Information Technology and other relevant stakeholders had been contacted to collaborate toward effective
distribution of the phones.

“As part of the electronic-wallet which we are
promoting, the handsets will be the toll with which we will communicate to farmers in the rural areas.
”Deep into the interiors, we will be able to
communicate with them. “ We are actually working
with the Ministry of Communication Technology, so they are talking to the network providers.

“They will extend their networks into rural areas
where normally they will say there is no economic
viability . “The Federal Government will be putting
some support into this, they will go into the
hinterlands and expand their network so that we can have access,” Odusote explained.

She said appropriate measures had been taken to
commence the distribution exercise before the end of the first quarter. Odusote also said that the
beneficiaries would receive direct alert for the
collection of fertiliser as well as information on
farming seasons, prices of
products and scarcity period.

She added that farmers would get 50 per cent subsidy on fertiliser as well as other necessary assistance from government. Though Odusote did not specify the exact amount to be expended on the project, she stated that the phones would be bought directly from the manufacturing company.

She added that some of the manufacturing companies had also expressed readiness to partner
with the ministry and invest in the sector. Odusote
also said farmers would be provided with solar-
powered lamps for charging the phones, adding that the initiative was to achieve a complete value change in the sector.

She said graduates searching for white collar jobs
should tap into the opportunity, noting that this would bring about overall development in the
sector. The Regional Director in the ministry, Mr OlalekanQuadri, said measures were being put in place to
ensure farmers engage in mechanised farming.

Source- www.informationnaija.com/fg-to-distribute-10m-mobile-phones-tofarmers/

I'm a farmer i just planted sour sop tree in my compound. How will i get the free mobile phone?

A farmer who is able to pay 50% of the cost of farm input should be able to afford a mobile phone himself.
How are we so sure the mobile phones will be distributed to those it was intended for? How will the uneducated farmer be able to comprehend the process of using a mobile phone to check weather and access other GES information? How will government be able to detect cases like "multiple roll out"? How will the farmers in remote villages cope with the epileptic network problems, insufficient recharge cards and poor power supply to charge those phones or will government be providing masts for correct signal to the village, recharge cards and all? There is also the problem of logistics. I do not feel that most local farmers are ripe for this e-wallet, except it will be done together with paper vouchers. Government should distribute free fertilisers and high yield seedlings to the farmers instead of this wasteful idea of distributing free mobile phones!

Is good to be mobile but i think farmers need something more than handset now that will enhance subsistence farming.

NOKIA 3310

Stegomiah: NOKIA 3310

lol

Even me I b farmer

Another avenue to loot bilions

Which kind phone dem wan give the farmers? Na Nokia Torch abi Blackberry?

[size=13pt]probably chinko phones...[/size]

Stegomiah: NOKIA 3310

if its 3310, then na best choice!

It's a welcome development. Farmers need to be informed. They should know when their fertilizers and other entitlements are ready for collection, and where they are to be collected. It also becomes useful whenever their associations want to convene meetings.
It's not a bad idea at all.

stan-ogb:
[size=13pt]probably chinko phones...[/size]

na im be say TECNO don hammar!

Remember to keep one for Obasanjo

cockyjay: I'm a farmer i just planted sour sop tree in my compound. How will i get the free mobile phone?

and how will the cell phone make your soup sop tree grow?

BeraBera: It's a welcome development. Farmers need to be informed. They should know when their fertilizers and other entitlements are ready for collection, and where they are to be collected. It also becomes useful whenever their associations want to convene meetings.
It's not a bad idea at all.

They should also provide them sim cards and small generator.... Make the whole arrangee complete.

These dudes making policies for us all are bleeping w@nkers. You mean to tell us these so called farmers can't afford to buy 2000 Naira palasa phone? How can they can afford seed and seedlings?

Say na iphone dem want share for farmers?mehn if na iphone i go turn to farmer PRONTO

Arrant rubbish. A failed government.

Lol @ iphone. Guess they" just be regular nokia phones with basic functions. It is a welcome necessity however.
www.thatssewnaija..com

I pray it get to them and dt mayb another xpenses for them.:/

berem: Which kind phone dem wan give the farmers? Na Nokia Torch abi Blackberry?

china double sim card phone

backward country with leaders that think through their YANSH. will they plant the cell phones? another avenue to loot billions. abeg make una go learn how mechanized farming go take solve our food shortage problems.

This is one of the most innovative things the FG can do as already done in India, Ghana and other countries to empower farmers to use GSM phone services for improving agricultural yield and profits by providing farmers advice on crops, weather reports and market prices via SMS.

[size=18pt]Reuters Market Light claims to have 1 million registered users across 50,000 villages in India, while Nokia Life reports that 76 million people had "experienced" its service in India, China, Indonesia and Nigeria by August 2012.[/size]

Another drain pipe for GEJ's men.... Na who go com dey recharge am 4 dem? so, mak una do budget dat one too o... THEIRS, LIARS

Useless nation - are they giving this as a gift or to boost their efforts...why not give them machanised tools as a gift instead or even fertilizers and other farm related things - hopeless nigeria sey na fone farmer no get

When is the harvesting season ? I want to get fresh phones from the trees.

Stegomiah: NOKIA 3310

the airtime kwanu who will provide

Na phone, no be money, no be fertilizer, no be chemicals, no be special breeds of crops, I beg me I get phone oo but I be famer too, I want plant salt and maggi a bi how now?

This is a good idea as them say work no play make jack a dull boy. If the the farmers they ping while farming it no bad. If the phones is nokia they can still 2go or facebook chat, life goes on noni no more boring things when farming thanks GEJ for that.

Wow! This is a superb initiative, more of these.