9 pages., In order to facilitate the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for accessing agricultural information by smallholders, it is critical to understand their perspectives on the use of ICT. However, few empirical studies have considered how smallholders utilise ICT in Central Vietnam. This research investigates the Central Vietnamese smallholders’ views on the extent of use of ICT for accessing agricultural information. A sample size of 250 smallholders was randomly selected from a total of 687 smallholders in Trieu Phong district, Central Vietnam. A two-section questionnaire was used to gather data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The smallholders used mobile phones, TV and radio networks/broadcasts as the common ICT tools, and these were also effective ICT tools for accessing agricultural information. Lack of knowledge and skills for using applications on mobile phones were the main challenge to the smallholders’ use of ICT. A statistically significant relationship, existing between the extent of mobile phone use and the smallholders’ age (χ = 10.04, p = 0.040), gender (χ = 5.99, p = 0.014) and the type of households (χ = 6.84, p = 0.033), was found. Similarly, there was a statistically significant relationship existing between the extent of radio network/broadcast use and the smallholders’ age (χ = 9.58, p = 0.048) and gender (χ = 4.83, p = 0.028).
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C14037
Notes:
Pages 206-213 in Subhash Bhatnagar and Robert Schware (eds.), Information and communication technology in development: cases from India. Sage Publications, New Delhi, India. 2000. 230 pages.
Hinton, Dawn (author) and Ofori-Dankwa, Joseph (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2010
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D02162
Notes:
Pages 103-120 in Blessing M. Maumbe (ed.), E-agriculture and e-government for global policy development: implications and future directions. Information Science Reference, Hershey, Pennsylvania. 321 pages., Emphasizes ways information technologies can be used to encourage community orientation in the face of modernization.
Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD).
Format:
Report
Publication Date:
2009-10
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 182 Document Number: C37000
Notes:
Group 3: Making content widely accessible on the Web. 2 pages., Resource from CIARD for agricultural information professionals, technical developers and marketing and communications professionals.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 148 Document Number: C23735
Notes:
PREMnotes (Poverty Reducation and Economic Management Network), Number 70. 4 pages., Information and communications technology can improve poor people's lives - but only if policies and projects are designed to exploit its potentials.
21 pgs., CTs (Communications technologies) have revolutionized agricultural information services at every level in the agricultural sector, thus impacting rural development and catalysing poverty alleviation strategies. This has largely been the case with small-scale farmers in rural areas in developing countries where mobile technologies have penetrated more than most other ICT tools. However, in some of the farming environments, mobile phone use is largely driven by agricultural extension workers. This paper seeks to examine the way mobile phones are used for information access in situations where agricultural extension workers are a critical intermediary in the agricultural information services. Interviews were conducted with 10 randomly selected farmers who were part of the Dzindi irrigation scheme. The findings were that from the variety of information available to the farmers the most important source was the extension officer. The extension officer and the radio were indicated to be the most reliable independent sources of information. The other sources, such as the radio, family members, and friends, suppliers of chemicals, books and magazines, were only considered reliable if the information could be verified or vouched for by the extension officer. Increasing the information handling skills of extension officers, training of farmers to use smart features of their phones and promoting the usual face-to-face communication use of conventional methods, which is what usually gives rise to the mediation of mobile phones, were recommended.
