Evaluation of information and communication technology utilization by small holder banana farmers in Gatanga district, Kenya
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Date
2013Author
Mwombe, Simon O L
Mugivane, Fred I
Adolwa, Ivan S
Nderitu, John H
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The study was carried out to identify information communication technologies (ICTs) used in production and marketing of bananas, to determine factors influencing intensity of use of ICT tools and to assess whether use of ICT has a significant influence on adoption of tissue culture bananas by small-scale banana farmers in Gatanga District, Kenya.
A multi-stage purposive sampling and proportionate allocation technique was used to select 116 respondents. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS and STATA were used for descriptive and quantitative analysis.
Radio, television and the mobile phone were found to be the most accessible ICTs and were often used to access information on production or/and marketing of bananas. The least accessible ICTs were computers, internet services and video cassettes. Socio-economic factors like age, gender, income and acreage of bananas planted had an influence on the intensity of use of ICT tools as a source of agricultural information by smallholder banana farmers. Use of ICTs was found to influence adoption of tissue culture (TC) bananas. Low levels of education and distance to internet services were found to be the most constraining to the use of ICT tools. Other constraints included: lack of money to buy internet services, digital cameras and computers. Farmers were of the opinion that radio and the mobile phone were the most useful ICT tools while television, print media, internet/email and video cassettes/DVDs were the least useful as a source of information on banana production.
This study elucidates the important role of ICTs in disseminating agricultural information. There is need for the government to demystify ICT training at all levels of education to improve local content development. Reduction of taxes on radio-wave licensing and improving accessibility to affordable and quality handsets will aid in intensifying the use of radio and mobile phones by farmers in acquiring information.
URI
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1389224X.2013.788454#.Ue4uC1ewR-Jhttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/49912
Citation
Simon O.L. Mwombe, Fred I. Mugivane, Ivan S. Adolwa and John H. Nderitu (2013). Evaluation of information and communication technology utilization by small holder banana farmers in Gatanga district, Kenya. The Journal of Agricultural Education and ExtensionPublisher
Agribusiness and Information Management Division , Ministry of Agriculture , Bungoma East District, Nairobi , Kenya Department of Agriculture Economics , The university of Nairobi Tropical Soil and Biology Institute of CIAT, Nairobi Mt. Kenya University , Kenya