Identifying appropriate information and communication technology (ICT) in improving marketing of agricultural products in Garmsar City, Iran

Abstract

One of the most important factors for agricultural development is marketing of agricultural products. Information, as the most important facilitator and main core of the marketing system, has an effective role in increasing the marketing system efficiency. Today, farmers need access to updated and exact information in order to improve the quality and quantity of the agricultural products marketing. Information and communication technology (ICT), by accelerating the information delivery, have a key role in agricultural products marketing. This study, for this reason, is aimed to identify ICT capabilities in marketing the agricultural products of Garmsar city. This is an applied study and the research methodology is correlation. The main research tool was questionnaire and dependent variable was the agricultural products marketing. The statistical population of the study was 109 agricultural experts and extension agent working in agricultural service centers. After data collection and extraction, statistical analysis was done through SPSS Version 16 Descriptive results show that the situation of agricultural products marketing is fairly desirable. ICT also have a moderate role in the improvement of agricultural products marketing. Regression analysis results indicate that computer, electronic journals, website and mobile determined about 14% variance of agricultural products marketing.

Key words: Information and communication technology (ICT), ICT tools, agricultural products marketing.