Technology adoption behaviors of farmers during crises: What are the key factors to consider?

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic required economic agents, in this case farmers, to make immediate decisions with an eye on a future characterized by high level of uncertainty. Using a multivariate probit, this paper examines the factors that farmers, as economic agents, considered at the peak of the pandemic in their digital (e-service) technology adoption decisions. The results indicate that the key factors that influence digital technology adoption behaviors of farmers are age, gender, education, level of dependency, experience in farming, access to credit and perceived possible impact of the pandemic on production activities. These factors were found to have different levels of influences on the adoption of different digital technologies that could help reduce physical contacts in line with nationally determined Covid-19 protocols whiles sustaining agricultural production activities. Digital technologies that facilitate easy access to good agronomic practices, weather information services, input and output market information services and financial services were identified as crucial. The general conclusion of this paper is that farmers are willing to adopt technologies that add value to their welfare through timely resolution of problems that confront them. Thus, value propositions – such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact – must be the key considerations in policy interventions that promote positive technology adoption behaviors.