Farmers to Have Access to Pricing and Market Information through Rural Telecentres

Farmers in some of the least developed provinces in Viet Nam will now have instant access to pricing and market information through a new telecentre initiative developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Intel and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

 

Farmers will now know what the latest prices are, be able to have the latest information on domestic and international markets and have access to the latest research and information on farming techniques. Furthermore, farmers can now use the telecentre operator to input necessary paper work online, saving time and transportation costs.

 

As part of a UNDP-MARD programme in public administration reform, Intel will provide 13 computer systems to 13 telecentres in ten provinces, where information on agricultural markets and pricing will be distributed throughout the community broadcast system.

 

The pilots will create a more in-depth understanding of the use of the ICT’s for rural development in Vietnam. The focus is particularly on agriculture extension services and local market information for farmers and institutions representing them that can help towards improved agricultural output and enhanced economic opportunities for the farmers. The pilot will also test alternative models for achieving financial sustainability for rural ICT facilities involving local participation and investment ton ensure continued benefits to the community.