UTILISATION OF MOBILE PHONES BY RURAL FARMERS FOR AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION ACCESS AND USE IN KARAYE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Access to agricultural information continues to be challenging for rural farmers due to the use of inadequate sources and traditional extension approaches. The use of mobile phones to access appropriate agricultural information is an overriding factor for the attainment of successful and sufficient farm production and rural development, especially in developing nations. This research was conducted in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria, to explore how farmers utilize mobile phones in accessing agricultural information. One thousand two hundred seventy-nine (1,279) registered rural farmers formed the population of this study. To better understand the relevance of utilizing mobile phones by rural farmers for farming systems, 127 farmers were surveyed in three (3) wards using a purposive sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages were used to analyse and present the data. Information about herbicide control was the major type of agricultural information accessed through mobile phones for use by the rural farmers in Karaye Local Government; rural farmers utilised mobile phones to access agricultural information monthly and occasionally. The results also show that rural farmers benefit from utilising mobile phones in the areas of getting assistance in accessing agricultural information quickly and getting easy contact with local customers/suppliers. The study concludes that with timely access to relevant agricultural information by rural farmers, Nigeria can attain food sufficiency. Therefore, this study recommends that, rural farmers should not rely on information about pest and disease control but should also access other types of agricultural information such as information for better marketing, prices of agricultural products and also of new, improved seeds; rural farmers should make daily or weekly use of mobile phones to be updated on agricultural information and quick access to their needs.