15 pages, via online journal, Purpose: The effectiveness of new extension approaches hinges on farmers’ willingness to adopt innovative ways to interact with extension. Therefore, this study explored farmers’ willingness to use mobile text messaging for two-way interactions with Ministry Extension officers.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study followed a correlational design and survey data were conveniently collected from 200 farmers of Trinidad.
Findings: Findings showed most farmers of the sample knew how to send and receive text messages, and many owned Internet-enabled smartphones. In addition, most farmers were willing to communicate with extension officers through text messages.
Practical Implications: Ministry Extension should revisit and revise their policies of communicating with farmers. Administrators should encourage extension officers to use SMS to respond to farmers’ requests and information needs.
Theoretical Implications: While the UTAUT provided an appropriate framework for understanding farmers’ use of text messaging, researchers should tailor the moderator variables to the country’s context.
Originality/Value: This study is the first to look at farmers’ willingness to use two-way information communication technologies in Trinidad. Results showed there is potential for Ministry Extension to use text messaging to communicate with farmers.
Blake, Valerie (author), Evans, James F. (author), and Evans: Head, Office of Agricultural Communications and Education, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL; Blake: Librarian, Muresk Library, Muresk Institute of Agriculture, Northam, Western Australia, Australia
Format:
Bibliography
Publication Date:
1992
Published:
Australia
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 89 Document Number: C06319
Notes:
James F. Evans Collection, Northam, Western Australia, Australia : Muresk Library, Muresk Institute of Agriculture, [1992]. 120 p.
James F. Evans Collection, This paper proposes that rural people can use a participatory rural newspaper as a rallying point for formal and informal discussions with development agents to improve their own life situation. The future of communication for development in the Third World lies in the shift from the use of big to small media like participatory rural newspaper. The micro model of communication for development presented here may be applied to other localized media instead of the participatory rural newspaper. But the adaption would require adjustments both in the theoretical as well as procedural approach to suit the particular mini medium. (original)
