Agricultural advisory services as intermediates for

online agromet applications for farmers

Iver Thysen

Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences

ICT for farmers:A technology searching for users ?

Farmers 2%Crop advisers 50%

User penetration of PlanteInfo 2004

ICT for farmers:A technology searching for users ?

Farmers 2%Crop advisers 50%

User penetration of PlanteInfo 2004

Bad excuses

• Good weather data from DMI• Close collaboration with the advisory service• 75% of farmers have Internet• Massive marketing• Nearly all farmers know about PlanteInfo

So why don’t they use it?

Good reasons

• We don’t provide information that fits the rational farmer’s logistic needs

• Farmers are satisfied with information from other sources

• Farmers can make better use of their time than fumbling with the Internet

• Farmers are too stupid to know what is good for them

The information chain

Information provider

Extension

Farmers

eAdvice

Conclusion

• Weatherdata, applications, websites and farmers’ access to Internet are NOT enough

• Insight in farmers’ decision making habits and needs defined by farm logistics, and

• Net-based cooperation with agricultural extension will perhaps help