Assessment of Generational Differences in Awareness, Use and Effects of Information and Communication Technology Platforms Among Irish Potato Farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Information is a key enabler that updates the use of production resources along agricultural value chains. However, high transaction costs (TCs) remain a challenge to timely and reliable agricultural information. In response to this challenge, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been developed to facilitate the flow of information along agricultural value chains. The inadequacy of agricultural information has contributed to persistent low potato productivity of 7.9 tons per hectare (t/ha) against the 40 t/ha national threshold. In Kenya, the National Potato Strategy sought to integrate ICT platforms into the potato value chain to support and facilitate farmers’ access to real-time data on various information needs. Literature has demonstrated a variation in the adoption stages of ICT. However, the extant literature has focused more on the young users of these technologies than the older ones. Despite their solid contributions to the transformation of the agricultural sector, literature has somewhat ignored the existence of generational differences in ICT. The current study contributes to addressing the aforementioned knowledge gaps by establishing how awareness, use and effects of using ICT platforms vary between the two generations of potato farmers. The study employed a multistage sampling technique in selecting 434 potato farmers from Nakuru County in Kenya. Logit, Heckpoisson and endogenous treatment effect (ETE) models were applied in data analysis. Results showed that access to digital sources of information and use of the internet increased young farmers’ awareness of ICT platforms. Additionally, the number of sources of information and access to extension services increased awareness of ICT platforms among older potato farmers. The Heckpoisson results revealed that household income and institutional support services highly determined the use of ICT platforms among young potato farmers. Furthermore, the ETE results indicated a higher and positive effect of using ICT platforms on potato income among older farmers. The study recommends the promotion of diverse interventions targeting improved awareness and use of ICT equally among the youth and older farmers. These include interventions that enhance technical information delivery through extension services, collective action institutions like agricultural groups as well as enhancing online advertisement. Additionally, the study recommends interventions that provide incentives to farmers through increased incomes. These include promoting equal access to physical resources such as land, especially among youth farmers.