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The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations together with the Pan African Farmers’ Organisation (PAFO) are pleased to call for applications for a new online course “Farm Data Management, Sharing and Services for Agriculture Development”.

There is an exponential growth in data accompanying the digitalisation of agriculture through the proliferation of mobile technology, remote sensing technologies and distributed computing capabilities among others. The effective management of this data will open up new opportunities to better the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by lowering cost and reducing information asymmetries.

This online course  will support the work of professionals involved in using or managing data services for the benefit of farmers and farmers organizations. These professionals work in a wide range of organizations, including international organizations, donor agencies, multilaterals, NGOs, academic and research institutions, universities, national or local governments.

The main target audience groups include:

• Those who are involved in farmers’ organisations as administrators or staff i.e. those collecting farmer data and managing the data; and
  
• Development practitioners and technology providers, who, in addition,  assist farmers’ organisation setting up farmer profiling and creating data services.

The course creates awareness of data on and for farmers as well as the products and services that have become a growth area, driving expectations and investments in ICT4ag including e-extension, precision agriculture and digital financial services. The course furthermore highlights shared data principles, including FAIR and open data conceptual frameworks, while also emphasizing the legal and responsible ethical considerations for data rights and protections.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the value of data, the different types and sources of data and identify the type of services that data enables in agriculture.
  
• Understand how data is used and generated in the value chain
  
• Understand the challenges and risks that smallholders face when sharing data
  
• Understand the strategies related to farmer profiling
  
• Understand how and where to find open data
  
• Apply data analysis and visualisation techniques
  
• Understand the legal and policy aspects when dealing with farmers’ data sharing
  
• Understand the basics of  licencing, copyright and database rights

How to Apply?

The course is free of charge and is offered in  4-week period in English. It will take place twice in two editions, one starts in October and second starts in November before the end of the year. The date of preference for the applications can be indicated is requested on the Registration Form:

    First edition:  14 October to 10 November 2019
    Second edition: 18 November to 15 December 2019

To apply for the courses, please complete this Registration Form by 29 September 2019. Applicants will be informed about application results by 3 October 2019.

Certificate of Attendance will be provided for those who take the End of Course Exam and pass it. Certificates can only be provided electronically.

For further information got to http://aims.fao.org/activity/blog/call-applications-online-course-farm-data-management-sharing-and-services-agriculture OR please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This study by Jeckoniah, et al (2019) titled: Socio-Economic Determinants of Household Participation in Out-growers Scheme and Investor Farm- Employment in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania, aimed at examining the socio-economic determinants of household participation in the out-growers and investor farm employment.

Congratulation Dr. R. B. Tarimo

The Department of Information and Records Studies (DIRS) would like to inform you that Mr. Ronald Bernard Tarimo, a lecturer at DIRS, Sokoine National Agricultural Library has successfully defended his PhD on 29/08/2019.

Wakulima nchini Tanzania wamehimizwa kutumia Maktaba ya Taifa ya Kilimo ya Sokoine hususani kitengo cha Mkulima kilichopo maktaba ya Chuo kikuu cha Kilimo cha Sokoine.

By Anajoyce Samuel Katabalwa

Sokoine National Agricultural Library (SNAL) has continued with the task of training farmers on how to access Mkulima collection at the National agricultural show (Nanenane), held at Nyakabindi grounds in Simiyu region.