Information and Communication Technology for Rural Farmers Market Access in Tanzania
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JITI
Abstract
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This paper discusses the impact of information and communication technology
(ICT) for rural farmers’ market information access in Tanzania with the case
study of Rungwe District. Two hundred farmers were selected randomly to
provide information about ICT use for accessing agricultural market
information. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information at
household level. There were also consultations with key informants, service
providers and government officials. Findings show that market information
sources are still dominated by the farmers themselves, relatives and traders.
Nevertheless, a considerable number of farmers (23%) used ICT to access
market information. The use of ICT by farmers was significantly related to the
quantity produced (P<1%), income level (P<1%), type of crop marketed (P<5%)
and gender (P<5%). Farmers who used ICT obtained higher prices (P<1%) than
farmers who did not use ICT for accessing market information. The use of ICT is
constrained by costs, accessibility and reliability.
Keywords
Rungwe District, Agriculture, Farmers, Development