Mr Andrew Karas (second left) presenting the items to Alhaji Mohammed Muniru. With them are the deputy minister of MoFA in-charge of Livestock (second right), the Chief Director of the ministry (right) and official of SRID.
THE UNITED States Agency for International Development (USAID) has through its Agriculture Policy Support Programme (APSP), donated Computer-Assisted Interviewing (CAPI) System Equipment to the Statistics, Research and Information Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
The equipment donated included 200 pieces of 3G tablets fitted with global positioning system (GPS), other information and technology gadgets, weighing scales, wellington boots and raincoats.
The electronic devices and software were to help enhance the collection of agricultural statistics.
They are also expected to minimize human error in agriculture data collection and analysis, as well as improve overall data quality and credibility.
APSP has reportedly assisted SRID to design, develop and implement a Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing data collection system in support of the Ghana Agriculture Production and Market Price Surveys.
CAPI, DAILY GUIDE understands, provides a holistic approach for quality agriculture data collection, including geographical information system plotting, analysis and management.
According to information from USAID, the donated equipment would allow SRID to move from collecting data using a pencil and paper, to real-time mobile data collection using the CAPI system on 3G tablets to conduct Ghana Agriculture Production and Market Price Surveys.
In a statement at a short handing-over ceremony of the equipment at the forecourt of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on Thursday, Mission Director of USAID, Andrew Karas, explained, “We (USAID) have been working closely with the ministry to strengthen its data collection systems and support evidence-based decisions and policies.
According to him, the equipment and the software would enable the ministry to store vast quantities of data and to access information on demand.
The equipment and software would modernize the ministry’s approach to data collection with cutting-edge technology and systems, enabling real-time mobile data collection on 3G Android tablets, Mr. Karas explained.
He stressed, “It will significantly improve the ministry’s capacity to undertake field surveys and collect, secure, and analyze data.”
He disclosed that USAID was helping with the training of 150 officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture at the district, regional and national levels to effectively collect data for Ghana’s annual general agriculture production and marketing surveys.
Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in-charge of Food Crops, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru, who received the items on behalf of the ministry, said with the introduction of the CAPI system, including the use of Android-based tablets to administer electronic questionnaires and the direct transmission of data to servers, the ministry had been ushered into a new and improved phase of agricultural data collection that should make available reliable, accurate and comprehensive data for decision-making within and outside the ministry.
BY Melvin Tarlue