Mobile phone use by small-scale farmers: a potential to transform production and marketing in Zimbabwe

B Masuka,T Matenda,W Ngezimana,J Chipomho,N Mapope,S Tatsvarei,S Mupeti

doi:10.17159/2413-3221/2016/v44n2a406

Abstract

Smallholder farmers are major contributors of horticultural produce. Women’s contribution is noteworthy. Meeting market demand on time and avoiding market ‘floods’ is a challenge among communal farmers, leading to post harvest losses partly due to lack of information and uninformed decision making. Mobile phones have potential to connect farmers to markets, close the information gap and enable informed decisions. Currently most farmers target a few markets leading to market ‘floods’, low prices and fresh produce deterioration while some potential markets remain untapped. A survey conducted in 2015 covering 131 farmers in Svosve-Wenimbi, Marondera district of Mashonaland East province in Zimbabwe evaluated mobile phone ownership and use in farming; and its potential in transforming production and marketing. High literacy and mobile phone ownership of 95.32% and 94.45% respectively was reported, with 16% already accessing advisory services over mobile phone. 51.1% utilised various mobile phone services including accessing market information on inputs and produce, advisory services, weather data, mobile phone money transfers for transaction and crop insurance. By using mobile phones farmers made informed decisions and saved time and transport cost. Mobile phone ICT can promote better production, marketing, food security and livelihoods and more farmers may adopt the technology. Keywords: small holder agriculture, marketing, mobile phones, women, Zimbabwe, extension implications

Highlights

There has been rapid transformation and growth in the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) including mobile phones in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole in the recent years (Jensen, 2001; eTransform AFRICA, 2012)
By 2014 mobile phone subscription rate was 106% (POTRAZ, 2014; TECHZIM, 2014) that was characterized by some dual Sims phones and multiple phone ownership, with 47.5% (6.1 million) internet subscribers of which 99% is accessed on mobile phones (POTRAZ, 2014; TECHZIM, 2015)
Mobile phone ownership was high at 94.5% and use for agriculture business that included acquiring production and market information, planning meetings and financial transactions was 57.5%

Summary

Introduction

There has been rapid transformation and growth in the use of ICT including mobile phones in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole in the recent years (Jensen, 2001; eTransform AFRICA, 2012). Zimbabwe has a population of 15.5 million (World Bank, 2015) with 70% living in the rural area (UNICEF, 2015) depending on agriculture for food security and a livelihood (FAO, 2015). Mobile technology can potentially transform all forms of business including agriculture (Jensen, 2001; Deloitte, 2012; Irefin, Abdu-Azeez & Tijani, 2012; World Bank, 2012; Ewing et al, 2014; Oladele, 2015). Communication in rural Zimbabwe has always been limited but mobile

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