Accessing agricultural information by rural farmers through mobile phones in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated access to agricultural information by rural farmers through mobile phones in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study include: to ascertain how the rural farmers access agricultural information through mobile phones in Karaye Local Government Area, Kano State; find out the sources of accessing agricultural information by rural farmers in Karaye Local Government Area; and determine the challenges that these farmers face in accessing agricultural information through mobile phones. A survey research method was used for the study. The study population comprised 1,279 registered rural farmers, 121 farmers, and three (3) wards were purposively selected as sample. A structured and closed-ended questionnaire was designed and used for the data collection. One hundred and twenty-one (121) copies of the questionnaires were administered to the registered farmers, out of which 95 copies were returned, representing 78%. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages. The findings of the study reveal that rural farmers' significant mean access to agricultural information through mobile phones was short message service (SMS); that most farmers sourced agricultural information from their other farmers (colleagues) through mobile phones; that majority of the rural farmers indicated that the inability to access agricultural information from the formal sources (research institutes, extension workers, researchers) and lack of sufficient and wide mobile phone network coverage in the communities were the challenges being faced. The study recommends that: the Federal Government of Nigeria should through the National Communication Commission (NCC) liaise with telecommunication companies to reduce the rate of call charges so that rural farmers can make direct calls apart from Short Message Service (SMS) to extension workers or any other agricultural stakeholders to access agrarian information easily. Farmers should be sourcing agricultural information from research institutes, researchers, and extension workers apart from their colleagues (other farmers) to access relevant and up-to-date information to help achieve sufficient production and prevent poor harvest. The study concludes that with the timely access to relevant agricultural information by rural famers Nigeria can attain food sufficiency.