Technology enablers
1. Adoption of mobile devices
Mobile devices are what is the primary access medium to the internet.
This makes access to mobile devices a big driver for the adoption of digital agriculture solutions. The last couple of years have seen an increase in mobile phone penetration in Asia. In the next 5 years, the proportions of mobile service users are expected to increase by up to 6 per cent in South Asia.1 Mobile cellular subscriptions for Commonwealth Asia are shown below.
Mobile Cellular Subscriptions (per 100 people)
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
Brunei Darussalam
Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
2. Availability of network coverage and internet access
The proportion of the population that uses the internet in Commonwealth Asia varies from the lows of 13 per cent in Bangladesh and 17 per cent in Pakistan to the highs of 89 per cent in Singapore and 95 per cent in Brunei Darussalam.
Individuals using the the internet (% of population)
Commonwealth Asia Average
Individuals using the the internet (% of population)
Brunei Darussalam
Singapore
Malaysia
India
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Non-technology enablers and barriers
Non-technology enablers
1.Young population demographics
In Asia, the proportion of people aged below 40 is 62.5 per cent, rising as high as 65.4 and 70.2 per cent in South and Southeast Asia.
This youthful demographic born after the 1990s is more familiar with the internet and is estimated to have a much higher acceptance of internet-related advances as well as a much faster learning curve in working with digital agricultural solutions.
2.Targeted Government subsidies
The kind of farming support that is available (irrigation-based, linkages to market, support from extension support) plays a part in the adoption of technology.
A case in point is the state Government of (Odisha) India support of the Ama Krushi crop advisory solution.2 Support from the state and regional Governments in these regions reduces the cost of deployment of digital agriculture solutions especially in the cases where state Governments provide financing and crop production extension officers.
Non-technology barriers
1.Low farmer literacy
As is the case in Africa, low farmer digital literacy significantly affects their ability to adopt and use digital solutions.
A case in point is the interaction of farmers in India with the Government issued soil health cards. Although more than 100 million soil health cards had been issued to farmers by 2018, researchers with the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia revealed significant usage difficulties by farmers as they did not understand the printed information.3
Enabling environment conclusions
In conclusion, the technical, and regulatory environments regarding digitalisation of agriculture in the region vary across countries with some countries being better off than others (based on the GSMA4 mobile Connectivity Indices for Commonwealth Asia countries).
Like the African Commonwealth countries, mobile devices in this region play a significant role in the consumption of digital agricultural solutions.5 This section uses the GSMA Mobile connectivity index as a quantitative description of the state of digitalisation of agriculture. This is because the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index measures the enablers of mobile internet connectivity. With the exception of South-East Asian Commonwealth member countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei with connectivity indices higher than 60, all South-Asian Commonwealth countries still have national connectivity indices greater than 60.
The GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index6 measures the enablers of mobile internet connectivity. This index provides an aggregated quantifiable measure for selected indicators enablers of mobile connectivity. These indicators are as follows: Infrastructure – the availability of high-performance mobile internet network coverage; Affordability – the availability of mobile services and devices at price points that reflect the level of income across a national population; Consumer readiness – citizens with the awareness and skills needed to value and use the internet, and a cultural environment that promotes gender equality; Content – the availability of online content and services accessible and relevant to the local population.
Footnotes
1 Global System for Mobile Communications (2020). The Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2020.
2 Precisionag (2020). Frontline delivery in the time of COVID: Ama Krushi in action. https://precisionag.org/frontline-delivery-in-the-time-of-covid-ama-krushi-in-action/
3 IFPRI (2018). Designing a better Soil Health Card for farmers in India. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/designing-better-soil-health-card-farmers-india
4 Global System for Mobile Communications, 2020, Mobile Connectivity Index Methodology.
5 Key informant interview with a technology for development advisor.
6 The Global System for Mobile Communications index is a quantitative score running from 0 (environment is least enabling) to 100 (environment is most enabling).