07:06:46 - 31/12/2017
Lizard Mobile was launched on 1 September to improve rice farming in the Mekong delta. With Lizard Mobile farmers can be informed more efficient and accurate.
On 21 September the first training took place at the Loc Troi Group office in An Giang province. Loc Troi Group field officers, from all over the Mekong delta, were trained on how to use Lizard Mobile to inform farmers on crop growth management, pests- and disease risk and flood risk.
The morning session started with introductions, a Sat4Rice project update and a practical explanation of Lizard Mobile. Following that preparations were taken to test the application outdoors. In the afternoon, the Lizard Mobile website was tested at Loc Troi Group rice fields next to the office.
Under rainy conditions the field staff tested the application and overall it was a big success. Mobile Lizard was found to be a very useful addition to information sources the Loc Troi field staff already have access too. The afternoon session ended with a feedback session to measure user satisfaction and for further improvement of the mobile website. A traditional Vietnamese ‘party’ concluded the highly successful day.
Lizard Mobile Launch: The agri-information solution for farmers in Vietnam September 1st 2017 marks the day the Sat4Rice team has long worked towards to: the launch of Lizard Mobile.
The Sat4Rice team consists of Vietnamese and Dutch public-private experts in data science, agriculture and satellites. Lizard Mobile is a mobile website, developed for rice farmers of Loc Troi Group in Vietnam. The site combines satellite information, field data, and photos to provide the farmer with up-to-date insights into their crop. Lizard mobile is a milestone in efficient farming; a high-tech solution where it is needed most.
The fertile delta of the Mekong river is Vietnam’s biggest natural asset. 20% of the World’s rice crop thrives in the river basin, pushing Vietnam to the top three of the rice export market globally. What do the farmers need to keep their rice flow going and increase future efficiency in a sustainable way?
Lizard Mobile provides farmers of Vietnam with different datasets, chosen to aid their crop production and processed according to their their specific needs. There is satellite data on rice growth and flood risk, detailed field information and photos about their own rice paddy which they can share with their community.
Important in the Sat4Rice project is the fusion of high-tech information solutions and concrete use cases from the fields. One of the big advantages to achieve this fusion, is the ongoing increase in smartphone usage. Recent studies show that 30% of farmers in Vietnam has one and this number is rising to 80% in 2020.
The specs of Lizard Mobile prepare it for this future. An increase of users in Vietnam is easy to implement and adjustments are small if it’s needed to add crop types. The team put in sustainable databases with room for growth. Lizard Mobile is directly usable with any smartphone, no installation needed.
The initial launch of Lizard mobile marks the starting point for wider-scale usability tests and workshops with Vietnamese farmers of Loc Troi Group. The Sat4Rice team is excited to demonstrate what has been accomplished thus far and looks forward to the feedback of the broader user group. A significant scale-up in the number of users is planned for months ahead.
