Information and Communication Technologies' role in Livestock Production in Sierra Leone

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Livestock is an integral part of the agriculture system, providing a vital safety net of money and food for a substantial proportion of the rural people, especially the poor and disadvantaged. A reorientation of the production system toward more efficiency and a heightened focus on quality is required to keep up with the rising demand for livestock-based products in both local and international markets, as indicated by recent trends in the livestock sector. Advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have allowed for novel methods of sharing and expanding information and knowledge throughout farming communities, potentially boosting livestock productivity. The study aims to evaluate the ICT devices accessible and used by livestock farmers and farmers’ perceptions about the vital role of ICTs in improving livestock farming in Sierra Leone. The study was conducted in six chiefdoms of the Koinadugu district of Northern Sierra Leone. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather information from 262 livestock farmers. The result shows that mobile phone (\(\bar{X}\)=4.63), radio (\(\bar{X}\)=4.51), internet (\(\bar{X}\)=4.23), CD-ROM/VCD/DVD (\(\bar{X}\)=3.76), television (\(\bar{X}\)=3.69), and video player (\(\bar{X}\)=3.52) were the ICT devices that livestock farmers always access. Mobile phone (\(\bar{X}\)=4.53), radio (\(\bar{X}\)=4.21), television (\(\bar{X}\) =3.74), CD-ROM/VCD/DVD (\(\bar{X}\)=3.68), internet (\(\bar{X}\)=3.57), and video player (\(\bar{X}\) =3.51) are livestock farmers' most frequently used ICT devices. The result also reveals that advertising a product, contacting potential buyers, improving access to a new market, providing information on food processing and preservation, increasing product potential, providing information on market prices, and facilitating payment online for livestock products are the strongly perceived role of ICTs in livestock marketing. Low level of education, lack of electricity, low income of farmers, high communication costs, language barrier, and lack of ICT skills, among others, were the main constraints associated with the access and use of information and communication technologies among livestock farmers. Therefore, the government should provide continuous power or backup power for remote farmers to use ICTs for livestock management activities and promote sustainable livestock growth.