Implications of ICT Usage in Agricultural Extension Information Service Delivery in Tana River County, Kenya
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Date
2020
Authors
Gwademba, Goudian
Muthee, Daniel Wambiri
Wamae, Peter
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Eastern Africa Journal of Contemporary Research (EAJCR)
Abstract
This study sought to establish the effects of ICT usage in agricultural extension information
service delivery to farmers in Tana River County. Specifically, the study assessed the
distribution of farmers across zones with varying ICT agricultural extension information
services access within Tana River County; the nature and level of ICT agricultural extension
information services accessed by farmers; and the extent to which agricultural production
levels by farmers in Tana River County has been enhancement by access to ICT extension
information services. The findings of this study indicate that a wide range of agricultural
extension information services such as agricultural insurance, access to supplies credit and
mobile banking as well as information on weather patterns, crop/livestock husbandry, markets,
production forecasts and record keeping are effectively disseminated to farmers through ICT
platforms such as cell phones, the internet, radio and television through customized messaging
and this greatly empowers farmers to adopt better farming practices and improves agricultural
productivity. It is recommended that agricultural extension officers should encourage and
where possible facilitate more farmers to subscribe to ICT extension service platforms to
enhance agricultural productivity. The findings of this study indicate that ICT tools such as
cell phones, internet, radio and television, when properly applied in agricultural extension
services, could greatly inform farming decisions and thereby enhance agricultural
productivity. There is therefore need for agricultural extension officers to encourage and where
possible facilitate more farmers to subscribe to ICT extension information services platforms
to enhance agricultural productivity.
Description
A research article published in Eastern Africa Journal of Contemporary Research
Keywords
ICT in Agriculture, Agricultural Extension Services, Agricultural Productivity, Agricultural Extension Information Systems, Rural Development
Citation
Gwademba, G., Muthee, D.W., & Wamae, P. (2020). Implications of ICT Usage in Agricultural Extension Information Service Delivery in Tana River County, Kenya. Eastern Africa Journal of Contemporary Research, 2(1), 24-33.