The week's pick
Reseach Article
Combating Fake Agro-Inputs Products in Tanzania using Mobile Phones
| International Journal of Computer Applications |
| Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA |
| Volume 97 - Number 17 |
| Year of Publication: 2014 |
| Authors: Deo Shao, Steven Edward |
10.5120/17099-7681
|
Deo Shao, Steven Edward . Combating Fake Agro-Inputs Products in Tanzania using Mobile Phones. International Journal of Computer Applications. 97, 17 ( July 2014), 21-25. DOI=10.5120/17099-7681
Abstract
Fake (Counterfeit) agro-inputs are causing myriad challenges to agricultural sectors in the developing countries by affecting the productivity rate. This paper analyzes the magnitude of the counterfeit agro-inputs and propose a system that integrates a mobile-based solution that helps the authentication of the agro-inputs products in Tanzania. A face to face interview with key informants in the agriculture sector and field data collection in one region were carried to understand the challenges in preventing the fake agro-inputs and awareness among stakeholders. The study has revealed that there is no trustworthy methods of verifying agro-inputs, the current methods such as expiration date and labels are weak and can be forged easily. The magnitude of counterfeit agro-inputs is rated by the respondents to be high. Crop seeds were found to be mostly counterfeited among other agro-inputs such as fertilizers, animal feeds and pesticides. The proposed system allows the stakeholders to authenticate the genuineness of the agricultural inputs through their mobile phones. This will tremendously boost confidence to farmers and greatly increase yields by buying hybrid seeds instead of replanting their own seeds. The evaluation study shows that the Agro-inputs Products Verification System (APVS) is feasible in Tanzanian settings and can significantly reduce the magnitude of counterfeit in agro-inputs products.
References
- WorldBank, "Fact Sheet: The world Bank and Agriculture in Africa. " .
- URT, "2012 Population and Housing Census," 2013.
- FAO, "Review of food and agricultural policies in the United Republic of Tanzania 2005-2011," 2013.
- URT, "( IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ) PILLAR No . 1 NATIONAL VISION ON KILIMO KWANZA," 2010.
- ITU, "ICTs and Food Security," 2009.
- R. Chapman, T. Slaymaker, and J. Young, "Livelihoods Approaches to Information and Communication in Support of Rural Poverty Elimination and Food Security," 2010.
- S. N. Meera, A. Jhamtani, and D. U. M. Rao, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT?: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THREE PROJECTS FROM INDIA Shaik . N . Meera , Anita Jhamtani , and D . U . M . Rao, no. 135. AGREN, 2004, pp. 2–15.
- URT, "AGRICULTURAL MARKETING POLICY," 2008.
- L. Edda Tandi, "BRIDGING THE AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION DIVIDE: THE CASE OF SELECTED TELECENTERS AND RURAL RADIO IN TANZANIA," Electron. J. Inf. Syst. Dev. Coiuntries, vol. 43, no. 6, pp. 1–14, 2010.
- A. W. Karingu and P. Karanja, "DETERMINANTS OF THE INFILTRATION OF COUNTERFEIT AGRO-BASED PRODUCTS IN KENYA: A CASE OF SUPPLIERS IN NAIROBI," Int. J. Hum. Resour. Procure. , vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 1–14, 2013.
- WHO and FAO, "2ND FAO/WHO JOINT MEETING ON PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT," 2008.
- F. Fishel, "Global Counterfeit Pesticide Problems on the Rise," THE GROWER, 2009. .
- L. Ediger, "Seeding Positive Impacts?: How Business and Civil Society Can Contribute to the Sustainability of Chinese Agriculture," no. May. pp. 1–18, 2010.
- G. Rudolf and D. Cam, "The problem of Counterfeit and Illegal Pesticides in Africa Middle East," 2013.
- In2eastafrica. net, "Tanzania Govt, farmers cautioned against imported fake pesticides," in2eastafrica. net, 2012. .
- B. J. Oates, "Researching Information Systems in Computing," in Reviewing the Literature, London: SAGE Publications, 2006, pp. 187–199.
- S. T. March and G. F. Smith, "Design and natural science research on information technology," Decis. Support Syst. , vol. 15, pp. 251–266, 1995.
- J. P. Alan R. Hevner, Sudha Ram, Salavatore T. March, "Design Science Information," MIS Q. , vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 75–105, 2004.
- T. Yamena, Statistics, an Introductory Analysis, 2nd Editio. New York, USA, 1967.
- S. Devadas, E. Suh, S. Paral, R. Sowell, T. Ziola, and V. Khandelwal, "Design and Implementation of PUF-Based 'Unclonable' RFID ICs for Anti-Counterfeiting and Security Applications," in 2008 IEEE International Conference on RFID, 2008, pp. 58–64.
- C. Beaver, C. Greene, S. Mall, M. Morris, A. Thigpen, L. Thigpen, and C. Thwaite, "An update on the work and progress of IFDC," 2013.
- D. BANSAL, S. MALLA, K. GUDALA, and P. TIWARI, "Anti-Counterfeit Technologies: A Pharmaceutical Industry Perspective," Sci. Pharm. , 2013.
- TCRA, "Quartely Telecom Statistics Quarter 2 ( December 2013 ) Report 1 . Voice Prepaid Tariffs ( Without TAX )," 2013.
- ITU, "The World in 2013 ICT Facts and Figures," 2013.
- M. Gakuru, K. Winters, and F. Stepman, "Innovative Farmer Advisory Services Using ICT," in IST-Africa 2009 Conference Proceedings, 2009, pp. 1–11.
- A. I. Scott, M. . R. Joseph, and E. D. Dewolf, "The Establishment of a National Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education," Plant Heal. Prog. , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–7, 2006.
- A. Chan and T. Jia, "The Role of Mobile Banking in Facilitating Rural Finance?: Reducing Inequality in Financial Services between Urban and Rural Areas," 2010.
Index Terms
Keywords