Globe, IRRI uses mobile tech to give farmers info on crops
GLOBE Telecom, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has come up with a mobile service for farmers to help ensure sustainability of the country’s rice production.
Through the newly-launched Nutrient Manager for Rice Mobile (NMRiceMobile) toll-free text messaging service, rice farmers, even those in far-flung provinces, can now gain access to vital information on how to properly manage their fields.
The NMRiceMobile is an information communication technology (ICT)-based decision software that uses mobile phones to provide farmers and extension workers with comprehensive, site-specific fertilizer guidelines for their rice fields.
Value-added
Globe head for Corporate Social Responsibility Jeffrey Tarayao said that by giving farmers a fast and cheap way to get information on fertilizers using their mobile phones, the company is able to empower and help them get greater yields.
“More and more, mobile telecommunications services such as voice and SMS are getting commoditized and our stakeholders are looking for value-added services that can meaningfully contribute to their work. This is the reason why Globe partnered with IRRI and the DA to bring the value of mobile telecommunications to our farmers in a way that is most meaningful to them,” Tarayao said.
According to Dr. Roland Buresh, IRRI nutrient management expert and lead developer of NMRiceMobile, crop management practices must be tailored to location-specific needs in order to produce sufficient food at affordable prices for consumers and with higher profitability for small-scale farmers.
Questions
Globe said farmers, extension workers, crop advisors or anyone interested to learn more about farming can simply dial or call 2378 toll-free from their Globe or TM mobile phone. They can choose their preferred language such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Iloko or English.
About 12-15 questions will be asked such as the cropping season, the type of seed being used, growth duration of the rice variety, field size, water supply, field location, and weight of harvested palay. The questions may be answered by pressing the
corresponding number on the cell phone keypad.
Once the information is provided, the caller will receive a free fertilizer recommendation through text.
Through the newly-launched Nutrient Manager for Rice Mobile (NMRiceMobile) toll-free text messaging service, rice farmers, even those in far-flung provinces, can now gain access to vital information on how to properly manage their fields.
The NMRiceMobile is an information communication technology (ICT)-based decision software that uses mobile phones to provide farmers and extension workers with comprehensive, site-specific fertilizer guidelines for their rice fields.
Value-added
Globe head for Corporate Social Responsibility Jeffrey Tarayao said that by giving farmers a fast and cheap way to get information on fertilizers using their mobile phones, the company is able to empower and help them get greater yields.
“More and more, mobile telecommunications services such as voice and SMS are getting commoditized and our stakeholders are looking for value-added services that can meaningfully contribute to their work. This is the reason why Globe partnered with IRRI and the DA to bring the value of mobile telecommunications to our farmers in a way that is most meaningful to them,” Tarayao said.
According to Dr. Roland Buresh, IRRI nutrient management expert and lead developer of NMRiceMobile, crop management practices must be tailored to location-specific needs in order to produce sufficient food at affordable prices for consumers and with higher profitability for small-scale farmers.
Questions
Globe said farmers, extension workers, crop advisors or anyone interested to learn more about farming can simply dial or call 2378 toll-free from their Globe or TM mobile phone. They can choose their preferred language such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Iloko or English.
About 12-15 questions will be asked such as the cropping season, the type of seed being used, growth duration of the rice variety, field size, water supply, field location, and weight of harvested palay. The questions may be answered by pressing the
corresponding number on the cell phone keypad.
Once the information is provided, the caller will receive a free fertilizer recommendation through text.
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