The eSoko Project, being implemented by the eRwanda Project in the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) will leverage on the power of Information and Communication Technologies to give farmers access to up-to-date market price information

The Government of Rwanda contends that investment in knowledge of ICTs will open doors to global interactivity and competition thus paving way to a future of endless opportunities. The Government believes that all citizens must be equipped with the basic IT skills as a prerequisite for existence in the ICT age. The focus here is most definitely on people: The Government of Rwanda is striving to ensure that all citizens get the opportunity to continue, start or restart on the path to success.

For the Government, the implementation of ICTs and investment in the social sectors such as health and education is not a matter of choice but rather a realisation that the combination of the aforementioned will yield the desired benefits. In brief, the Government strongly believes that technology will enable her to efficiently and effectively attain her development goals.

More than 75% of Rwanda’s economically active population earns their living, directly or indirectly, from agriculture and mostly through subsistence farming. The success of these farmers has been greatly affected by lack of access to pricing information. Many times, farmers speculate what crops to grow and what prices to charge at harvest. Some farmers depend on middlemen to dictate the prices and in most cases the latter exploit the former. For any farmer to earn a decent living from agriculture, easy access to information on market prices is of paramount importance.

The eRwanda Project, a World Bank funded ICT for Development project being implemented by the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) intends to remedy this critical information gap with the use of Information and Communication Technologies through its eSoko Project that seeks to empower farmers to enable them make more informed market pricing decisions and ultimately more successful farming. This Agricultural Market Pricing Information System will also significantly enhance the Ministry of Agriculture - MINAGRI’s interaction with the farmers and traders.

Farmers in Rwanda will use ordinary cell phones to query up-to-date price databases run by the Ministry of Agriculture and receive relevant and updated information on market prices for agricultural goods.

Farmers with access to the Internet will be able to obtain this information from the MINAGRI website. Additional information on the website will include weather forecasts, pest control tips and advice on growing different crops.

The field staff employed by MINAGRI to collect this information will be equipped with smart phones to collect and enter the pricing information in the databases. In case the field officers are out of network signal range, they should still be able to store the data in the phones and later synchronize it with the databases when they get to areas within network coverage.

The eRwanda Project will also provide training to the farmers on the use and maintenance of the eSoko System equipment in order to sustain the new communication channels that will have been introduced by the system. For farmers without mobile phones, village phones can be used to access the prices. Farmers will be given additional training such as using telecenters, computer, business development and managerial skills (in collaboration with Private Sector Federation). It is hoped that ultimately, groups of farmers who are empowered to make their own decisions based on accurate, up-to-date and timely information will contribute greatly to rural development and the fight against poverty.