Day 3 - A week to remember

“Conferences this size are nearly always Powerpoint-led,” said CTA’s Giacomo Rambaldi during the closing ceremony on Thursday evening. “But right from the outset, we decided that this one would be different – that interaction would be at the core of the conference.” And that’s exactly how it’s turned out.

Day 2 – ICT impact on farming

The ultimate goal of agricultural extension is to create change – to improve yields, raise incomes and provide farmers with new opportunities and a better life. Can ICTs transform the way farmers acquire knowledge and information, and make extension services more effective? This was the focus of Wednesday's plenary session, organised by the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS).

The opening day

More people own a mobile phone than own a toothbrush, and in Africa the number with access to a mobile phone exceeds the number with access to clean water. Mobile phones and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to transform the lives of hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers. This was one of the key messages to come out of the first day of the ICT4Ag conference in Kigali, Rwanda.

Plug and Play Day

Plug and Play Day attracted over 300 participants. A warm-up for the main conference, the day began with a brief introductory session, with Didier Nkurikiyimfura, Director General of Rwanda's Ministry of Youth and ICTs (MYICT), acting as master of ceremonies.