[kictanet] Another wasted bumper harvest

[Mwangi Wamae]

All:

There was an article in the
Economist<http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14793411>magazine
of Nov 5, 2009 that talked about methods of obtaining forecasts of
crop yields by "measuring electromagnetic radiation reflected from farmland"
using satellite technology.  The article also said that the World
Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi has begun cataloguing more than 100,000
samples of African soils with the aim of incorporating this information into
existing satellite technology.

So the solution is just about there.

My question is this however, what is the business proposition for a private
enterprise to develop this data?  Who would be the customer?

Our system is interesting though -- we seem to oscillate like an out of
control pendulum between famine and flood.  Less than a year ago we were
worried that 10 million Kenyans would need food aid, now food is rotting in
the fields.  Clearly we need a grain storage and marketing solution that
works -- and a strategic grain reserve to help us cope with future food
emergencies.

-Mw

On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 9:09 AM, Rad! <conradakunga at gmail.com> wrote:

> Well said.
>
> Although it's hard to beat Joseph's prediction system. God told him.
> Let's see TEAMS & SEACOM beat that! :)
>
> On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 3:44 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > Yet again we suffer from a lack of information, farmers are pouring milk
> > because the dairies cannot handle the increased volume and on another
> front
> > maize is rotting in the shambas because NCPB do not have money to buy the
> > maize due to an unexpected bumper harvest.
> >
> > I could understand the increased milk production as it could have been
> > sudden but how is it that we did not realise, in good time, that there
> will
> > be a bumper maize harvest.  Well, application developers can we get out
> an
> > application that can help the government and millers be better prepared
> for
> > a good or bad harvest or are we waiting for 3G connectivity or a 3rd
> fibre
> > optic cable to land before we can role out such a product.
> >
> > Even Joseph had a prediction system that saved Egypt from extinction yet
> he
> > did not have a high speed Internet link nor a 3G mobile phone and
> definitely
> > not an IPAD.
> >
> > Lets apply ourselves to solving this basic issues instead of lamenting
> about
> > a lack of 3G infrastructure, this is a challenge to the strathmore, IFC
> and
> > other incubeter initiatives as well.
> >
> > Have a good day
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Robert Yawe
> > KAY System Technologies Ltd
> > Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> > Kenya
> >
> > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
> >
> >
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> >
>
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