SOCIO – ECONOMIC CHARACHERISTICS AND ACCESS OF RURAL FARMERS TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AMONG IFEDORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE, NIGERIA (original) (raw)
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The study assessed the socioeconomic determinants of access and utilization of ICTs among farmers in Southeast Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling techniques were employed in selection of 240 Farmers as source of primary data for the study, using structured and validated questionnaire schedule. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in the analysis of data generated from the field survey for study. The result of the analysis showed that the following socioeconomic variables: age, gender, family size, income level, membership of cooperative societies, farming experience, and distance from place of ICTs were statistically significant at 5% for farmers access to ICT facilities, while age, gender, educational attainment, income level, membership of cooperative societies, and presence of associated ICTs infrastructure showed statistically significant at 5% for farmers level of ICTs utilization in the area. This goes to shows that these variables are important determinants of farmers' access to and utilization of ICTs. The result of factor analysis showed that infrastructural, technical and socioeconomic related factors constrained access and utilization of ICTs by farmers. The study recommends the institutionalization of programme such as extension education, training etc. that will promote the development of these socioeconomic variables, the strengthening of the use of contemporary ICTs such as phones and internet, rather than conventional ICTs such as radio and television through provision of advisory services to farmers on how to pool their resources together for the purpose of establishing rural viewing centre, provision of adequate training on the use of ICTs for greater effectiveness of ICTs access and utilization in farming operations in Southeast, Nigeria.
The concept of information in general and of agricultural information in particular, as a resource for development is very important in the contemporary world and cannot be overemphasized. Communication devices enable people around the world to contact one another, to access information instantly, and to communicate from remote areas. There are lots of difficulties facing rural farmers which can be solved by providing them with adequate access to quality information which many researchers have generated. ICTs play important roles in addressing these challenges and enhancing the standard of living of rural farmers. The ability to easily access and share information and stimulate the creation of new ideas is viewed as essential to maintaining a nation's economy and enhancing the quality of life of rural farmers. This study examined availability, importance and level of use of information communication technologies by farmers in Enugu state, Nigeria. Structured interview schedule w...
Information communication technologies have the potential to increase farmers' access to information which is paramount in enhancing agricultural production in developing countries. The study examined access and use of information communication technologies by farmers in Enugu north senatorial zone, Enugu state, Nigeria. Structured interview schedule was used to collect data from 90 farmers randomly selected for the study. The data were analyzed using percentages, frequency counts, mean scores and standard deviation. Results indicated that radio (98.9%), television (95.5%) and mobile phones (96.7%) were the most available ICTs in the area. ICT facilities accessible to the farmers were mobile phone (M=1.83), video players (M=1.46), radio (M=1.82) and television (M=1.52) while radio (M=2.71), mobile phones (M=2.64), television (M=2.02) were mostly used. The major benefits of ICTs as perceived by the farmers included: enhanced information exchange and interaction between researcher...
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This study focused on the use of ICTs by yam farmers in Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State. The study made use of cross-sectional research design and data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire from 150 respondents selected through random sampling technique from five towns in the local government area. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis in finding relationships between variables. The findings show that most of the yam farmers in Boluwaduro that use ICTs as a source of agricultural information had secondary education and they were between the average ages of 35 years. The result supports the assertion that ease of access and availability were the major factors that influences the preference for ICTs use by the yam farmers in the LGA, and also, television, radio and mobile phone were the most preferred ICTs tools for agricultural information by the yam farmers. It was discovered that infrastructural facilities is the major problem constraining the use of ICTs by the yam farmers in Boluwaduro, and that demographic factors does not have any significant relationship with the use of ICTs by Boluwaduro yam farmers. While strong relationship existed between problem encountered and ICTs use by the yam farmers in Boluwaduro. Better infrastructure provision was also advocated to encourage the use of ICTs by the yam farmers.
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This study assessed determinants of farmers access and use of new ICTS in the study area. Data obtained from 270 respondents through multi-stage sampling technique were subjected to descriptive and logit regression analysis. The results show that GSM is the only new ICT farmers have access to (mean= 2.66) and use regularly (mean =3.44) while they have little or no access to and use either computer, E-mail or internet. This poor farmers access to and use of new ICTs can limit the extent of agricultural information they can receive. The probability of respondents having high access to new ICTS was significantly related to education (b = 0.784) and farming income, (b = 0.754). The study recommends organizing farmers into associations for training in the use of and collective acquisition of new ICTs. @JASEM
Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 2018
This study focused on knowledge and perception of farmers on information and communication technology (ICT) use in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. A pretested and validated interview schedule was used to source information from 150 farmers selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyze the data collected. The result revealed among others, that the mean age of the respondents was 47.29 years, while the mean income was 505,600 Naira. Furthermore, majority (76.0%) of the farmers had a low awareness of ICT use, while majority (76.0%) of the farmers had a low knowledge of ICT. Also, majority (84.7%) of the farmers had an indifferent perception on ICT use. Number of year of formal education of farmers, knowledge on ICT and perception on ICT use explained 38.8% of the change in farmers' awareness on ICT in the study area. The study recommended that anytime programme that should improve the awareness of farmers' on ICT is being planned, the significant variables should be considered.
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Currently agricultural sector is the main sector of the economy in Ethiopia. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been changing the way that actors like researchers, development agents, policy makers, and farmers share agricultural information and knowledge. Particularly, farmers have started to use ICT to get agricultural information and knowledge, despite a number of challenges. Therefore, this study attempted to assess and analyze factors influencing the use of Information and Communication Technologies by farmers in Tole District of South West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. Data were collected (n=144) from 144 randomly selected respondents from Tole District, of which 69 were ICT user farmers and 75 of them were non users of ICT. The study deployed mixed methods research. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. Qualitative data were analyzed through interpretation, narration, and finally complement the descriptive analysis. The key finding of this study revealed that the social, economic and institutional factors were identified in study as factors in using ICT by farmers in the study area. The survey results revealed that age, sex, education status and distance from nearby market have influence on use of ICT in agricultural extension by farmers. The findings also revealed that Radio, Television, mobile phone, fixed phone,
Raising farmers' productivity and incomes are a necessity. This study investigated the roles ICTs play in improving farmers agricultural livelihoods. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, 250 agricultural producers were chosen randomly from 10 agricultural cooperatives in Imo state. Data were collected by means of questionnaire and analyzed by using percentages and means presented in tables. Results indicated that majority (65.6%) were males, with a mean age of 43.5 years, the mean farm size was 2.4 hectare and an average of 23 years farming experience. The ICT devices used included radio, mobile phones, computers, internet, magazines, newspapers. The agricultural livelihood activities included cash crop productions. fish farming, poultry keeping etc. ICT roles for improving livelihood of farmers included provision of market information (M=3.37), building farmers capacity (M=3.05), reduction of household risk (M=3.53) among others. ICTs play important roles in farmers welfare and should be encouraged for use by farmers in both rural and urban areas.
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