Boona. NET SMS & IM Mediated Price Information for Crops in Ethiopia Samuel Kinde Kassegne+, Ashenafi Assefa++ and Mieso Denko+++ + Professor of Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA ++ Project Coordinator, Feedeli. X Wireless, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia +++ Professor of Computer Science, University of Guelph, Canada. August 22, 2007, WITFOR 2007, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
What the project is all about …………. Boona. Net – the use of SMS (text messaging) and IM (instant messaging) technologies in LOCAL SCRIPT (Ethiopic) for commodity market information collection and retrieval. Commodities considered: Coffee, Teff, and Berbere – Red Pepper/Paprika. Ethiopic SMS Boona - Coffee Ethiopic IM Images courtesy: Feedelix, WFP, LYIP, Savory, Oxfam
What we will cover in this talk …………. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Project Objectives Enabling Technology Unique Application – Localized SMS/IM for pricing info. What We Propose What We Have Done Commoditization Models for COFFEE, TEFF, and BERBERE Deployment of Technology – Boona. NET and Extended Boona. NET 8. Analysis of Data (Coffee, Teff, and Berbere) 9. Pilot Project Evaluation 10. Future Plans 11. Acknowledgments Images courtesy: Feedelix, WFP, AFOZ
Project Objectives Ras Dashen – 4620 m The Ras Dashen Model [Highest point in Ethiopia] is (this == ‘Model’ || this == ‘Metaphor’) Goal 4 - Build database of commodity price information – mobile Towards Ambiqo- 4000 m Goal 5 Demonstrate Impact on Commodities Market. Cheneq - 3600 m Goal 3 - Recruit, train and deploy team in coffee/teff/berbere regions. Goal 1 - Introduction of SMS & IM in local script (Ethiopic) Sanka-Ber - 3240 m Goal 2 - Build infrastructure for commodity price system (hardware – servers; software – client). 1 Gondar – 2200 m Images courtesy: WFP, LYIP, Savory. WWGT 5
Technical Basis – Enabling Technology Mapping & Rendering Technology for Non. Latin Scripts – Mobile Phones Feedelix Core Technology: BREAK the SCRIPT BARRIER - Make Mobile Content Available on Any Device – Any Platform – Anytime. Existing Solution: Hindi, Ethiopic, Chinese (Q 4 -07), Arabic (Q 1 -08), More Indic (08). Arabic Script + variants (Persian, Urdu, etc) Ethiopic Script 345 char 1 - Any device Chinese Script (Pin-Yin) Indic Scripts (Hindi, Marathi, Gujaratti, etc) New SMS traffic trans. protocol Feedelix Server 2 - Anytime Mapped to 12 keys
Unique Application – Commodity Prices BROAD QUESTION: Can our technology be used to impact ordinary lives in developing countries now that mobile devices are ubiquitous? FACTS ON THE GROUND 1. Farmers are getting paid a fraction of the value of their crops and continue to live in perpetual poverty [85% of Ethiopia] 2. Current commodity price information is based on radio and print media (Once in 2 weeks for coffee). No technology for real-time information is available. Need technology with Local Script (writing systems) support. 3. Successful model in the use of SMS (Roman/Latin script) for market information demonstrated in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, etc. [Kace Kenya] Images courtesy: Feedelix, WHO
What We Propose………. . Provide market and price content using technology: Mobile as well as desktop. Languages/Script: Amharic, Tigrigna, and Afaan Oromo. Commodities considered: teff (Gojam, Bishoftu, etc), berbere, coffee (Jimma/Kaffa and Sidamo) SPECIFIC QUESTION: What are the technology and infrastructure conditions unique to Ethiopia and other dev. countries such as India? Merits: Broader Impact: 1. Higher/Competitive prices for goods 1. Empower networking effect 2. Bargaining power for farmers 2. Make the Ethiopian farmer compete at previously out-ofreach levels – say regional & global markets. 3. Poverty Alleviation
What We Have Done………. . Infrastructure Work Logistics: 1. Fine-tune SMS/IM technology to Ethiopian conditions. 2. Selection of Commodity/Locations 3. Team Selection – Early technology adopters Dejen Jimma/Kaffa 4. Training and Deployment Mareqo Alaba Dilla US Team ET Team 5 locations Coffee – Jimma, Dilla, AA. Teff – Dejen, Berbere – Mareqo, Alaba. Images courtesy: Feedeli. X.
Workflow of Coffee Commoditization – Model 1 – Free Trade Wholesaler Collectors Farmer Value Added: Coffee sorting & washing Sent to Addis Export Auction Premiu m quality Ranking of coffee. Grade 1, 2, 3, etc. Supermarket in local market. Sold in local market. Failed quality Images courtesy: WFP, Oxfam.
Workflow of Coffee Commoditization – Model 2 – Cooperatives Farmer Value Added: Coffee processing & transport to Addis Sold to Fair - Trade Unions Sold in local market. Images courtesy: WFP, LYIP, Savory.
Workflow of Teff Commoditization Small-scale Farmers Farmer Traders - (Aggregators) – Buy grain from small farmers at local markets. Twice/week. Stored till shipping to Addis. Sent to Addis Ranking of Teff Grades: Sell Points – Ihil Berenda/Mesalemiya - Merkato Area 1 st - Magna, 2 nd – Sergegna 3 rd – Abolle 4 th – Qey/Tiqur Images courtesy: Projects Abroad, Media. ETHIOPIA
Workflow of Berbere Commoditization Small-scale Farmers Traders - Buy grain from small farmers at local markets. Thrice/week. Sold by Feresula = 17 Kg (Addis, Mareqo) = 20 Kg (Alaba) Sent to Addis Ranking of Berbere Grades: Sell Points –Berbere Tera. Merkato Area 1 st -Zala, 2 nd – Foshe 3 rd – Tala Images courtesy: Projects Abroad, Media. ETHIOPIA
Technology Deployment – How Does Boona. Net Work? Daily price manifesto posted to farmers/traders Coffee Farmer Feedelix data collectors in Addis Jimma SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Jimma – Real Time Feedel. Messenger Feedelix Server (virtual Addis Ababa) Feedel. SMS Dilla Amharic SMS/IM from desktop SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Dilla – Real time Coffee Farmer Images courtesy: IAS
Technology Deployment – How Does Extended. Boona. Net Work? Daily price manifesto posted to farmers/traders Feedelix data collectors in Addis Coffee Farmer J 1 Jimma J 2 Ad 1 SMS/IM price in US/Europe to Farmer in Jimma – Real Time SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Jimma – Real Time US 1 J 3 Ad 2 Feedelix Server (virtual Addis Ababa) Feedel. Messenger Feedel. SMS Feedelix Server (US) Team in US Amharic SMS/IM from desktop D 1 D 2 D 3 Dilla Ad 3 US 2 Ad 4 SMS/IM price in Addis to Farmer in Dilla – Real time SMS/IM price in US/Europe to Farmer in Dilla – Real Time
Analysis of Data – Coffee Price – Birr/Kg Days Price/Kilogram in Birr August 6 -20, 07 6 -10% diff. Between AA & Jimma. Days Images courtesy: Feedelix
Analysis of Data – Teff < 5% price diff bet AA & Dejen 20% price diff bet AA & Dejen Price/Quintal in Birr (100 Kg) August 6 -20, 07 Does the onset of the Orthodox Christian Fasting season (16 days) on August 7/8 affect Teff prices? 15 -33% price diff bet AA & Dejen Images courtesy: Feedelix
Analysis of Data – Berbere Price/Kilogram in Birr. August 6 -20, 07
Pilot Project Assessment / Evaluation I. Technical Challenges 1. Internet Connectivity/Reliability 1. Lost productivity time. App (Feedel. Messenger) too big for bandwidth to install through web download. Thumb-drives and Hawala! 2. Data interruption on 20% of time. Worst last week. 3. Cost over-run for idle personnel during downtime. No bandwidth for debugging software problems. 4. Debugging of web-application easier (& perhaps cheaper? ) in US. 5. National competitiveness in attracting business opportunities seriously affected. Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana benefiting. Why not Ethiopia? 6. Opportunities for our bright young men and women to be integrated to the global knowledge force seriously hampered. 7. New Millennium - new thinking – Allow competition in ISP. 2. Nation-wide SMS Gateway Availability 1. Work-arounds are possible; but affects scalability. 2. Will perhaps change in due time
Pilot Project Assessment / Evaluation II. Data Validity 1. Duration of data collection – 2 weeks. 2. Classification of commodity not uniform. Dejen’s Magna teff can be sold as Sergegna in Addis, etc. 3. Collection/Harvest time for crops (October for coffee, December-January for Teff). III. Commodity-Specific Issues I. Coffee has a unique commoditization model.
Project Assessment Ras Dashen – 4620 m Goal 4 - Build database of commodity price information – mobile Towards Ambiqo- 4000 m Goal 5 Demonstrate Impact on Commodities Market. Cheneq - 3600 m Goal 3 - Recruit, train and deploy team in coffee/teff/berbere regions. Goal 1 - Introduction of SMS & IM in local script (Ethiopic) Sanka-Ber - 3240 m Goal 2 - Build infrastructure for commodity price system (hardware – servers; software – client). 1 Gondar – 2200 m 5 Images courtesy: WFP, LYIP, Savory. WWGT
Future Plans Our Immediate Plan Calls for: a) Completion and automation for repeat at coffee harvest time. Extended infrastructure needed. b) ETCrop. Net – From Pilot project to brick-andmortar presence in Ethiopia. c) Bharat. Crop. Net – New Markets (such as India) – Pilot project – Q 4 08. Bhahrati. Fasal. Net Actively pursuing external fund to finance these projects. Deliverable: Pilot Project that launches a network effect to empower Ethiopian peasants Images courtesy: Feedelix
Thanks…………. Shiferaw Abebe – Addis Ababa (Former Graduate student) Ted Kidane (Feedelix Wireless - USA) Feedelix Team Members: 1. Ashenafi Assefa – Addis Ababa 2. Selamu Assefa – Addis Ababa 3. Hayat Regassa – Alaba 4. Jilalu – Butajira – Mareqo 5. Achenf Tamagn – Dejen, Gojam 6. Dereje Tafesse – Jimma/Kaffa 7. Shemsedin Nur – Dilla, Sidamo 8. Shantanu Chawla – San Diego, CA, USA 9. Samuel Kinde Kassegne – San Diego, CA, USA Questions ? ?
Скачать презентацию Boona NET SMS IM Mediated Price Information
3f66fa1993f92f618262739117ac1c04.ppt