APPLICATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND MINING

Information and communication technology (ICT) has moved well beyond conventional telecom into sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and mining, where it enhances productivity, improves the living standards of workers, and helps overcome sector-specific challenges and risk factors. In agriculture, ICT is widely used to increase food productivity and improve farm management; it helps optimise the use of water, seeds and fertilisers; sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial imagery and GPS positioning are increasingly deployed on farms; and geographic information systems (GIS) are used extensively to decide the most suitable location to plant a given species. In fisheries, a satellite-based vessel monitoring system helps identify productive fishing zones, and the use of barcodes on the catch helps identify the time and date of capture, the species caught, and the quality of the fish. In mining, ICT improves operational efficiency, supports remote monitoring, and enables disaster-locating systems; it provides audio-visual warning system …