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Mobile phone-enabled services relevant for accessing agricultural information by smallholder farmers in Bungoma county, Kenya
Jacob Wakhungu
Abstract
Agricultural information is a key component in improving small-holder agricultural production and linking increased production. Improvements in agricultural productivity are realized when farmers are linked to agricultural information. The objective of this study was to establish the available mobile phone-enabled services relevant for accessing agricultural information by smallholder farmers in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional and correlational research design. The sample size comprised 400 respondents that were sampled using simple random sampling, and data was collected using questionnaires. Study findings revealed that 98.1% of the smallholder farmers owned phones, while only 1.9% did not own phones. Interestingly, 60% of the smallholder farmers did not use the internet on their phones to access agricultural information. 70.3% of the smallholder farmers got better connected to markets, and 66.5% indicated that by using mobile phone-enabled services, they accessed market information. 52.4% of the smallholder farmers stated the cost of using a mobile phone as the main factor considered in their choice of mobile phone network. Tests of hypotheses showed that a unit increase in mobile phone-enabled services causes an increase of 0.457 in accessing agricultural information; therefore, mobile phone-enabled services had a statistically significant influence on accessing agricultural information. The study underscores the necessity for enhanced training in advanced mobile phone operating skills among farmers through capacity building programs. Collaboration between the Kenyan government and county administrations is essential to bolster rural infrastructure supporting mobile phone services. To address financial constraints faced by smallholder farmers in accessing mobile data and subscriptions, county governments should allocate resources to establish information centers at sub-location agricultural extension offices. These centers would offer free Wi-Fi, enabling farmers to access agricultural information using their mobile phones. They are envisioned as pivotal hubs linking farmers, extension officers, agricultural information platforms, network providers, and other stakeholders within the county.
