JAMAICA’S farming community could see vast improvements to the services now being offered by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) after receiving 130 Huawei Media Pad 7 Lite Tablets from Digicel Business to boost its data collection capacity.

The deal, which is part of a re-signed CUG/ICT contract with the communication giant, forms a part of RADA’s thrust to enhance its extension service through the collection of real-time and accurate data, as it continues to serve as the repository of key agricultural data used to inform national policy decisions in the agriculture sector.

“We have realised that the use of ICT can improve the productivity of our sector whilst at the same time encourage and facilitate new entrants to the sector,” said Lenworth Fulton, chief executive officer (CEO) of RADA during the official contract signing with Digicel Business at the telecommunications company’s regional head office in downtown Kingston recently.

This means that players in the sector will benefit from fast and accurate updating of field information, and will allow the extension officers quick access to the farmers’ information database using Digicel’s 4G mobile technology. Overall telephony cost is expected to be reduced as a result.

“Digicel has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with RADA and the farming community in Jamaica and we are delighted to be taking this partnership to the next level,” said Jason Corrigan, Commercial Director for Digicel Jamaica.

“As a brand that remains at the forefront of technology innovation in Jamaica, we are committed to working with RADA as they embark on this paradigm shift; to grow capacity and improve productivity among the farming community with the use of technology.”

There are 165,000 registered farmers covering 98 extension areas island wide, with cultivators to RADA field experts standing at an imposing ratio of 1500 to one. However Fulton, who took over the reins of the state entity last month, after 12 years as executive director of the nation’s 4-H movement, also pointed out that the partnership with Digicel is in keeping with the global trend in agriculture globally, where ICT is used to enhance productivity.

“This role is of utmost importance to the functioning of the agricultural sector, and the use of more advanced technology is just a part of RADA’s thrust to improve its function and enhance service delivery,” added Fulton.

The use of ICT is particularly important to RADA’s strategic objective, especially at a time when farmers are seeking ways to remain competitive in the global market, and is expected to contribute to the significant increase in production, while maintaining an up-to-date farmer registration database and supplying market intelligence to stakeholders in the industry.