Abstract
An agricultural extension center has been providing farmers with crop technical and management information for more profitable and efficient farm management. However, the agency was only providing information to a limited range of farmers and groups. If more farmers could obtain the information, it might be more effective. It also must contribute to a more active community.
Therefore, I developed a public agricultural information system using the Internet, through which farmers can obtain the information they require.
Wakayama Prefecture Arida district is an important satsuma mandarin production center. Therefore, the system developed offers many kinds of information including satsuma mandarin production statistics, on-site investigation data, various activities in the vicinity, original pictorial books, weather data, research station data, agricultural cooperative association information, the history of satsuma mandarin cultivation, plant health data, and cultivation methods.
The procedure of publishing data through the Web was relatively easily but it was very difficult to accumulate useful contents. More hard work was needed to decide what contents were useful. After a method to include such content was developed, the support tool for farmers was completed. The system is called "The Arida Mikan Database" (http://www.mikan.gr.jp).
Not only farmers but also consumers can easily obtain necessary information through the Web site. The contents are now growing through the contributions of other cooperating agencies, resulting into a valuable resource for the local community. Frequent surveys of users have been undertaken in order to ensure that the system contents are useful.
