Guyana’s first ever Agriculture Market Information Service (AMIS)
was launched yesterday with the aim of allowing farmers, agro-processors, exporters, agri-business investors and Guyanese in general to access the market prices of commodities through the use of the Short Messaging Service (SMS) offered by Digicel.
The Ministry of Agriculture, through its agency, the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), launched the new service in conjunction with cellular giant Digicel, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
And Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud thanked partners GMC and Digicel for working assiduously to bring this system to fruition.
AMIS is the result of an initial conversation between the sector minister and Digicel on how the latter may become integrally involved in the ministry’s drive to expand and modernise the agriculture sector, GINA said.
Through its agent GMC, the ministry managed to work with the cellular service provider to develop a database of prices of commodities in Stabroek and Bourda markets, and also market prices of the same commodities in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.
Persaud observed that one of the major drivers of expansion and modernisation of the agriculture sector in many states is information technology (IT) – in particular, the internet and the use of cellular services. He said that an increase in ‘teledensity’ results invariably in an increase in demand for agricultural products and services, and by extension, the growth of the agriculture sector.
General Manager of GMC, Nizam Hassan demonstrated that through sending an SMS containing the name of a commodity to 1010, within seconds, subscribers will receive a response containing the wholesale and retail prices of the particular commodity at the aforementioned markets.
According to GINA, this information system will be especially beneficial to farmers in rural and hinterland communities who can gauge the prices of commodities and be better able to make more informed decisions as to what areas of production may prove most lucrative.
Meanwhile, at present nearly 300,000 subscribers can have access to this service. And not only does it provide prices of commodities, but also weather reports and currency conversion if so requested.
One can send the word ‘weather’ to 1010 and receive the forecast as provided by the hydro-meteorological service of the Agriculture Ministry. Similarly, sending the phrase ‘currency conversion’ to 1010 elicits a response containing the conversion of the currencies of Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in terms of Guyana dollars.
Persaud said that Laparkan has already begun expanding its cargo service to meet the increased production and exportation of agri commodities the ministry’s expansion drive is likely to generate.
Digicel handsets
He also disclosed that his ministry will soon provide 150 Digicel handsets to farmers in the hinterland communities, and expressed the hope that the phone company would match the gesture.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digicel Guyana, Gregory Deane assured that this is only phase one of a system that will continue to evolve to meet other and emerging needs of all stakeholders. He even declared that his organisation will partner with the Ministry of Agriculture, and its agency GMC, to embark on a nationwide education programme which will equip farmers to effectively use the AMIS to their advantage.
