Impact of Mobile Phones Among Agricultural Farmers in Otukpo Benue State
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To find information on alternative ways of getting agric information outside the extension workers
- To identify major solution to the problems facing farmers in Otukpo in getting agric information easy.
- To find information on the alternative sources of power for charging their phones in order to get adequate agricultural information.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
MOBILE USE AND AGRICULTURE INFORMATION
Mobile phones are one of the key tools of information communication technology which promoting the economics conditions as well as reducing the poverty. It is rapidly spreading in rural areas and farming are getting more benefit from it. Farmers directly communicate customers and sell their produce in good price and sharing their experience with each other’s in their different areas. Mobile phone nowadays one of the strong tool of communication and make close communities. Use of mobile phone very easy for farmers either is educated or uneducated. In remote areas farmers were not expecting that mobile phone would change their lives and it bring happiness and knowledge of agriculture. Mobile phones provided confidentially nearby any time and anywhere and users carries personal item. Mobile phone services to support farmers in developing countries differ from one country to another country. Mobile phone one of the best tool of ICT and every person of the society is getting benefit from it. In developing countries mobile phone played an important role in the terms of economic and significantly has reduced the gap among communities. The rate of mobile call is not more expensive and people especially poor farmers are using it frequently in remote areas of developing countries. Similarly, in developing countries farmers are using mobile phone for marketing information in the context of Ethiopia farmers keep up to date about marketing rates by mobile phone. It was also showed that mobile phone speedily spreading in remote areas and improving its service where farmers easily can connect with market13. The mobile phone has provided many opportunities to farmers and traders to sell their goods within a time to avoid from waste their product. Moreover, mobile phone has also given new thinking among farmers to decide regarding sell their produce, which offer provided by buyers or directly call market to get latest information of their crops. The study showed that when the mobile phone network was not available in Ghana most of the brokers stay at farmers working places and buy banana on the spot and beard lot of amount in the shape transportation to reach market where traders could not get appropriate price from market. ICT has also provided easy access to extension workers to reach at farmers and give advises for agriculture development. In the context of India farmers explored the use of a voice message forum to provide communicating and access to appropriate and timely agricultural knowledge and information from experts by use of mobile phone. Now rural communities in India are adopting mobile phones. Result showed that adapters and owners of mobile phone in different countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Srilanka and Thailand are young users and it was showed that mobile phones have improved their social and economic conditions while same time mobile provided easy access to communicate with family and friends in emergency time. Diffusion of information communication technologies in remote areas of developing countries are playing an important role in the agriculture development.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to impact of mobile phones among agricultural farmers in Otukpo, Benue state
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on impact of mobile phones among agricultural farmers in Otukpo, Benue state. 200 staff of selected farms in Otukpo, Benue state selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain impact of mobile phones among agricultural farmers in Otukpo, Benue state
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges mobile phones among agricultural farmers in Otukpo, Benue state
Summary
This study was on impact of mobile phones among agricultural farmers in Otukpo, Benue state. Three objectives were raised which included: To find information on alternative ways of getting agric information outside the extension workers, to identify major solution to the problems facing farmers in Otukpo in getting agric information easy, to find information on the alternative sources of power for charging their phones in order to get adequate agricultural information. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected farms in Otukpo, Benue state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up farm managers, supervisor, farm attendants and junior staffs were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The primary objective of the study was to assess the utilization of mobile phones for agricultural purposes by farmers in Otukpo, Benue state. Overall findings of the study suggest that majority of farmers in Otukpo, Benue state have access to/own mobile phones; and, getting information from fellow farmers, marketing of their agricultural produce, accessing inputs for farming, getting agricultural information from the radio and the internet as well as accessing extension services are the major agricultural purposes mobile phones are majorly used for by farmers in the study area.
Recommendation
Therefore recommended that agricultural extension agencies in Benue state and non-Governmental should focus their attention on these identified agricultural uses of mobile phones in carrying out ICT-based extension services to ensure an increase in effectiveness of extension efforts.
REFERENCES
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