Agriculture: Time To Be Internet-friendly

Times are changing, so agriculture and livestock breeders need to remodel marketing strategies.

There are loads of production and marketing tools for agriculturalists and livestock breeders nowadays. There is therefore need for each grower to choose the one more suitable to his production unit or adapt production to the market demands. Information and communication technologies have revolutionized all sectors of activity, with agriculture and livestock not left out.

The number of farmers’ markets is increasing, with particular days set for family farmers in some villages while everyday is business day for “buyam sellams” in cities. The Internet and farmer cooperatives now go together, and serve as marketing tool. Government of Cameroon in line with the growing trend, has put in place an agro-pastoral portal digital platform to facilitate transactions between producers and buyers on the web portal. CamAgro, is accessed through the web, mobile applications and devices and electronic messages. It is therefore a platform for producers to enjoy the benefits of ICTs in modernizing their activities.

The webpage is segmented to ensure better visibility and understanding of offers, with Common Initiative Groups and associations making use of the opportunity. The first part of the page indicates prices of some high consumer goods. The portal also offers consumers the opportunity to compare the prices of beans in the Centre, South, East and South West Regions. The prices of maize in the North and North West Regions as well as those of millet in the North Region also feature on the home page of the website.

In other countries, mobile technology is being used by extension centres. It provides information on agriculture or livestock-related questions, weather predictions for farmers with appropriate tren...