Nile Perch - Information at the source of the river Nile; Lake Victoria

Author : Juliet Kabege
Date added : 2002-04-15

Brief Project Background

A survey was conducted by IMPACT Associates for COMPETE- a USAID funded project to investigate the state of information and communications availability and utilisation in the fisheries sector. The objective of the survey was to test assumption about demand for specific market information that was received and utilised in the sector, and to identify existing gaps. Findings showed that stakeholders in the fisheries sector mainly fisherfolks value market information, (most especially price information) and are willing to pay for access to affordable, relevant and timely information services.
Based on the above assessment, COMPETE developed a pilot concept for delivering Price information to actors in the sector using the cell phone Short Messaging Service (SMS). This was based on identified demand for market information, Increased use of mobile phone services in the rural sectors.
and Market distortions in the sector where the processors and their supppliers connive to fix prices paid to fishers.

The pilot basically involved the following steps;
1. Collection of price information from individual in the market. Two price types namely fisher and processor prices; the former as the price fishers receive and the latter as the price collectors pay. Prices from four sources were averaged to get the respective average price at each site. These prices were collected by locally recruited agents (either fishers, government fisheries officers, fish traders or any other member at the sector), recorded on designed datasheets and averaged. Emphasis was made to recruit and work with participants in the sector (Participatory).
2. The averages were sent via the mobile telephone SMS to a central data centre telephone, which had an automatic connectivity to a computer where the information directly downloads to a computer-based database. The remoteness of the sites from the network coverage areas and poor transport infrastructure were some of the major limitations at this stage. At some sites, telephone connection (network could only be accessed a distance away). The furthest was at a very remote but major export market supplying site called Kasensero where the agent had to move 3 kilometers to the network area. Price data was collected twice a day and sent within 30 minutes from collection time. Another major challenge was ensuring reliability, accuracy and quality of the information sent to the data center, since update information was derived from this. I took part in the recruitment, training and monitoring of field activities. The thorough training, provision of incentives and contract-based operation helped in streamlining the data collection activities. Other measures include a pre-test during training with the whole team at one site and frequent spot checks at the sites.
3. The average prices at the datacentre were then used to update the price information at a mobile phone SMS platform that can be accessed by the respective service providers. The sending process had an in-built monitoring system, which would monitor individual prices for outliers and automatically send out queries to the agents. Also there was an automatic message acknowledging receipt of the information at the centre.
4. The dissemination methodology had two possibilities;
- The ‘PUSH’ system’: here the service provider, in this case the consulting firm made a phone database and sent out frequent updates on price information to the individual subscribers.
- The ‘PULL system’; an individual dails in a service number and send s an SMS using the query keywords. In this case he/she pays for the query sent and in return automatically receives a response from the service provider. Note that this system is;
I) Demand driven since the person queries for information he/ she wants to access and is willing to incur the cost.
II) Is sustainable in the long run; that is it has an income generating approach and can thus allow continuity. This system however takes much of resources in education, and awareness programmes. The returns according to simple market studies show can cater for future payments to local agents to continually collect this information at the sites.
In this WMIS pilot, I worked as Consultant-Field and Data Manager, being in charge of information collection, processing and dissemination. The project pilot lasted January til 10th April 2002. After the actual implementation, we carried out an internal evaluation. Results show a high rate of demand for price information shown by the level of usage of the PULL system, dedication on the side of the local agents who appreciate the importance of an information-rich sector in improving competitiveness and returns.
The next two weeks (15th-30th April) are dedicated to report writing and briefing to the client. I have the hope that with the findings from the pilot, this pilot will grow to a long-term project/ program. In the mean time we also await the evaluation report from the client’s point of view.

Results

The ‘PULL status’ shows that this information was accessed by fishers, traders, local as well as international export processors (exporters of Nile perch to International markets). Other partners such as the cellular phone service providers report increased access to these services in the sector.
Analysis of the prices shows generally an increase in prices against the effect of market demand and supply forces (quantity-price/ season relationships), and a decrease in the gap between the price paid by the processors and that received by the fisher (primary supplier). There was however a negative attitude from the fish traders as they take this as an operation to reap them of their super profits. The advantages of access to market information however is that they transform a market to a close to free market.
On the processors side, premium quality was the major premium price attractor and quantities of fish handled by the respective supplier.

Lessons

It has been an interesting experience; an enjoyable but challenging undertaking especially being in the rural communities.
The stakaholders have proved that use of ICT need not be restricted to technologically advanced interventions. the basis of introducing a technology is however the cost implication, accessibility, appliocability and feasibility in relation to the end-users.
Whereas services like the internet require a high rate if investment, such technologies are easy to intergrate into rural development programmes.

Development Impacts

The major focus of this intervention was to seek ways to increase the utilisation of ICT’s in rural areas based on the assumption that greater access to information increases competitiveness.Findings thus showed that;
A simple cost effective replancement of the common one-on-one means of communication and transaction media in rural communities. note that the former requires that both the seller and buyer be at the same place at the time of transaction. With technologies such as these buyers can place orders, inquire abour availability of goods at certian locations, whereas sellers can inform buyers on time about expected commodities (such as the quantity caught even before landing, processed quantities and time they will be ready etc).
Increased quality (especially for perishebles) and decreased handling time.
Additional services such as renting out of phone services to other users at the sites, thus income generation- diversified income sources.

Project Information

Organisation : IMPACT ASSOCIATES, Development Consultants
Total budget in US$ : $65,000
Country of activity: Uganda [UG]

Are there any partners involved : yes
What is partners role?: Cellular companies, with the interested in tapping the market ninche of existing demand for telephone services in the sectors. Along with the use of SMS, there was demand for other services like phomne calls.

Contact Information

Juliet Kabege
jkabege@impactassociates.co.ug
Lumumba Avenue
Plot 43
Kampala
Uganda

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