Mobile phones successfully support farmers with weather and climate information – The Malian experience by RIC4REC
1. Mobile phones successfully support farmers with weather and
climate information – The Malian experience by RIC4REC
Tuesday 16 November, 13-14 h GMT
2. Project presentation, RIC4REC
Sènèkèla and SMS Sandji
Effectiveness of weather and climate forecast
Farmer perception on use of mobile phone for
CI dissemination
Overview
Positive Experiences with regards to
strengthening climate change resilience
Q&A
Q&A
3. Blumont International ( former
International Relief &
Development)
264 000 Vulnerable people
280 Communities
60 Communes (LGAs)
3 Districts : Koulikoro,
Segou, Mopti
DFID BRACED PROGRAM
Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and
Disasters
GFORCE
AMASSA Afrique Verte
ICRISAT/CCAFS
AFIMA
Orange
Strengthening Community
Initiatives for Resilience
to Climate Shocks &
Stresses
RIC4REC
4. Strengthening climate change adaptation
management (CCAM) at local and national
level (responsive governance).
1
2
Making climate change adaptation
management (CCAM) a priority by building
a strong community base for its
implementation
Empower communities to use climate
information to make management
decisions about their livelihood activities
that reduce risk
Increasing assets and access to
productive resources through improved
management of natural resources and
creation of value-addition women’s
enterprises.
3
4
RIC4REC
strategies
5. Positive Experiences with with
regards to strengthening climate
change resilience
1
2
Sènèkèla et SMS Sandji
Evaluation of the effectiveness of
daily weather forecasts
Farmers perception on use of mobile
technology (SMS-Sandji and
Sènèkèla) of Orange Mali
3
4
Preparing
communities
to use CI for
decision-
making in
managing
their
livelihoods
9. Novelty The approach is new in the project area.
Producer pays for meteorological information and agricultural advice and receives
them directly through a mobile phone.
Information provided supports decision-making.
Adaptation Users already have mobile phones that ensure a link to the source of information.
The information provided is customized and tailored to the specific problems of each
producer.
Interaction The users can interact with the Sènèkela/Sandji service individually or in a group
when searching for information on agricultural advice and meteorology. It is also
done through exchanges between user groups. This process strengthens public-
private partnership (government and private sector services).
Knowledge
content
RIC4REC has trained its beneficiaries on the subscription and unsubscription
process to the Orange Mali Sandji service and how to access the Sènèkela platform
through a telephone call.
The project also trained them on reading and interpreting the different types of
meteorological data sent daily by SMS and how to act upon this information.
RIC4REC trained its beneficiaries on the types of technical resources available at
Sènèkèla.
Learning,
expansion
and
In each community, RIC4REC has trained a core of 10 to 20 users on the use of the
system, who are then responsible for subsequent peer-to peer training of other
farmers.
How innovative are Sènèkèla et Sandji services
11. Nom de la commune Nom AMC
Nom du village
Date d'appel
Nombre de
personnes
présenteslorsde
l'appel
Nombre Hommes
Nombre de femmes
Fiche: Groupe d'appel Sènèkèla (37333)
Satisfaction ou Paset
observation
Commentaire
Objet de l'appel
Réponse donnée
Nom AMC
Commune Village
Sexe F M 1
Numero de téléphone 0
Date message
reçu
Prévision Réalisation
1 1
1 1
0 1
Nom et Prénom
Fiche de suivi Sandji
Activité réalisée
Si pas de pluie
Si pluie
12/ 08/ 17
Technology assessment tool
12. • Welcome message
• Calling frequence
• Subject of communication
• Constraints for
communication
• Reliability of message
• How does provided
information support you
for decision making
• Calling cost
• Satisfaction
• Subscription
• SMS reading
• Vocal message
• Forecast reliability
• How does provided
information support you for
decision making
• SMS cost
• Satisfaction
Sènèkèla Sandji
13. Districts
Number of
villages
Number of
calls Participants Climate Practice
Pest and
desease Advice
Bankass
38 97
359 12,37 3,09 6,19 3,09
Douentza 250 1,03 5,15 12,37 1,03
Koro 201 7,22 3,09 4,12 2,06
Mopti 375 19,59 5,15 5,15 1,03
Youwarou 126 1,03 3,09 2,06 2,06
Total 1311 41,24 19,59 29,90 9,28
Results
Related question for Sènèkala
17. • Avoid cropping in flooding site
• Identify emergency zone in case of
flooding;
• Food and biomass storage
• Water intensive crop
• Normal planting date
• Mixed cropping
• Micro dosing application of
manure and chemical fertilizer
• Adapted crop, adopt soil water
conservation practice (ZAI, contour
bounding etc)
• Resistance variety to drought
• Reduce cropping land
• Less water-intensive crops
Above normal
forecast
Similar to
normal forecast
Below normal
forecast
1
2
3
What does a farmer do with the Seasonal forecast information
that can strengthening their adaptive capacity?
18. • Early planting;
• Anticipate farming activity (land
preparation, manure transportation etc)
• Separate chemical fertilizer application
• Normal planting date
• Manure application before
ploughting
• Chemical fertilizer application after
15 days
• Late planting
• Planting on minimum tillage
• Fertilizer application at planting date
Forecast of early
start of rainy
season
Forecast of
normal start of
rainy season
Forecast of late
start of rainy
season
1
2
3
What does farmer do with regards to Start of rainy season forecast forecast for
strengthening their adaptive capacity?
19. Action Action
Laundry for
women
Drying
vegetables/cereals
in the sun
Spraying
insecticide
Etc.
Confident in
planning field
activities
(ploughting,
planting etc)
Market
Sharing
information
What does farmer do with regards to daily rain forecast for
strengthening their adaptive capacity?
20. Issou Guindo is a farmer-herder in the village
of Brigo Dogon in Bankass. He shares the
following experience: "I planted 1 hectare of
cowpea and applied my usual phytosanitary
product but unfortunately my crop was still
attacked by pests. After several attempts, I
called the Sènèkèla platform to ask for
advice. So the agricultural counsellors
offered me a product that solved the
problem and it saved my harvest".
Issou Guindo is a farmer-herder in the village
of Brigo Dogon in Bankass. He shares the
following experience: "I planted 1 hectare of
cowpea and applied my usual phytosanitary
product but unfortunately my crop was still
attacked by pests. After several attempts, I
called the Sènèkèla platform to ask for
advice. So the agricultural counsellors
offered me a product that solved the
problem and it saved my harvest".
Batoma is a housewife in Touba
Sylla, in the region of Koulikoro,
who has benefited from the
contribution of RIC4REC; she says:
"In August it becomes harder for us
women to do the laundry because
it rains almost every day, but now
with this Sandji program I arrange
to do my laundry or dry my grains
in the sun every time I get a
message on my phone letting me
know that it will not rain".
Batoma is a housewife in Touba
Sylla, in the region of Koulikoro,
who has benefited from the
contribution of RIC4REC; she says:
"In August it becomes harder for us
women to do the laundry because
it rains almost every day, but now
with this Sandji program I arrange
to do my laundry or dry my grains
in the sun every time I get a
message on my phone letting me
know that it will not rain".
Positive Experiences with Innovation
21. With regards to strengthening climate change resilience
Over all message
“A la carte Service”!!
Mobile phone remains an effective chanel for disseminating
weather and climate information
Sènèkèla and Sandji improve ability to anticipate and adapt
to climate change based on the supply of information on
future events along with advice and recommendation on
agricultural practices
Cost reduction
Toll-free number for marginalized areas or vulnerable
populations
provide voice messages instead of SMS
Public-private partnership around the innovation
Recommendation for wide spreading
23. This material has been funded by UK aid from
the UK government; however the views
expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK
government’s official policies
Thank you !
Editor's Notes
Country team writes up reports and journal article, and sharing of edited videos as appropriate