Development of e-agriculture

Abstract

Globalization, a term often used to refer to the economic integration of national economies into an international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, and the spread of technology, is not limited to trade in manufacturing industries. Trade in agricultural and agro processed industrial products with partners in other countries constitute part of globalization; hence offers enormous opportunities for rural and agro-entrepreneurs to extend their markets. There is an abundance of literature of success stories that show that riding on the wings of Information and Communication Technologies, rural agriculture and agro-based industries supply a huge variety of products to the global market,. This development in countries such as The Netherlands, South Korea, U.K, Italy and Sweden has lead to trade relationships between farmers, food processors, intermediates and retailers, and finally consumers in-country as well as across the globe. Drawing on the experiences of these successful cases, this study analyses the Bulgarian rural economy and proposes the development of e-agriculture in Bulgaria. The aim of such a policy, hence this study, is to boost the returns of the Bulgarian rural economy and for it to serve as an appropriate response to the growing market pressure due to consumers in the global market switching to and performing online transactions with their suppliers instead of the traditional methods of trade relationships. A four phase development framework has been proposed by the study for the realization of an optimally performing e-agricultural system. First and foremost the designers of the e-agricultural platform should focus on making it represent a dynamic means of exchanging information on crop management among famers and between farmers and agricultural extension officers. Secondly, it should be enhanced to support online transactions (initially placing orders and making payments through an escrow mechanism ...