http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/161 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:47:09 GMT 2026-04-20T13:47:09Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/7922 UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICTs) FOR INFORMATION SHARING AMONG POULTRY PRODUCTION ACTORS IN CHIRO TOWN, WEST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA AZIZA MOHAMMED ALIYI; Tilahun Shiferaw (Assistant Professor); Endalew Getnet (PhD) ICTs has been contributing a lot to actors having access to updated market information, which helped them make informed marketing decisions and facilitating interaction among producers, suppliers, distributors, and end consumers. The study investigated the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for information sharing among poultry production actors in Chiro Town. Both primary and secondary data were used for this study. Primary data were collected from randomly selected 160 sample respondents (50 ICT users and 110 ICT non-users) using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and economic methods were used to analyze the data. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors influencing the use of ICTs. Secondary data were collected from both published and unpublished documents. Then quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS program version 16, and qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The result of the econometric model showed ICT usage is significantly and positively influenced by sex, monthly income, access to ICT training, access to the internet, access to information, and costs of ICTs, but is significantly and negatively influenced by age, availability of ICTs, education level, and access to mobile network. Out of 160 poultry production actors, 89.4% of respondents owned ICT tools. From this, 97.2% of respondents owned mobile phones. In addition, 92.3% of the respondents had televisions, 27.3% had radios, 2.1% had cameras, and 30.8% had internet or Wifi. Most of the respondents owned ICTs, and mobile phonewas the main ICTs owned. Based on the results, only 31.3% of ICT users and 68.7% of ICT non-users are poultry production actors who use ICTs for information sharing and poultry production activities. Therefore, the study concludes that there is high access to and low usage of ICTs. So, the study recommends that the West Hararghe zone, Chiro town, and Chiro district should work together collaboratively to leverage ICTs for information sharing, knowledge exchange, and sustainable development in the poultry production sector. Offer training and support to poultry producers to improve their ICT skills and effectively utilize these technologies for information sharing. 79 Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/7922 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/7221 SMALLHOLDER WHEAT PRODUCERS’ ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION AND ITS INFLUENCING FACTORS IN SULULTA DISTRICT, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE IN ETHIOPIA SAMUEL LETA DEGEFA; Dr. Chanyalew Seyoum; Tilahun Shiferaw (Asst. Professor) Information access among smallholder farmers is very important as it keeps farmers aware of what is happening in their work area and make decisions. The importance of information for wheat producers in Ethiopia cannot be undermined since it helps them make the right decisions about their farming production. The main objectives of this study was to assess the smallholder wheat producers’ access to agricultural information and to examine factors that contribute to accessing information by smallholder wheat producers in the study area. For this study multistage sampling techniques were employed. First, Sululta district was selected purposively for its wheat production potential. Second, four kebeles were selected using simple random sampling out of 23 kebeles and finally, 296 smallholder wheat producers were selected systematic random sampling. Both primary and secondary data types were used to conduct this study. Primary data were collected from sampled households through intervies schedule, key informant interview, and focus group discussions and secondary data were collected from the sululta district offices, publucations and unpubications. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and ordered logit model. Descriptives Statistics such as percentage, mean, standard deviation, and inferential such as one-way ANOVA test, chi-square test, and spearman’s correlation. The study results showed that 30.7%, 50.7%, and 18.6% the of respondents were in the low, medium and high access category, respectively. The ordered logit model output also shows that seven variables such as gender, annual income, social participation, access to market, distance from the market, extension contact and media exposure were statistically significantly influence information access among smallholder wheat producers in the study area. The study's findings suggest that interventions are needed to improve access to information on wheat production packages, particularly for those with low access. Therefore, the Sululta district Agricultural office should developing a platform that disseminates agricultural information on wheat production packages for smallholder wheat producers in the study area. 100 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/7221 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/1164 THE ROLES OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN SELECTED FARMERS TRAINING CENTERS OF GAMBELLA REGION, ETHIOPIA Temere, Gumata; Mammo, (PhD) Yared; Ndemo, (PhD) Eric The study was carried out in four purposively selected FTCs in Gambella region. This research attempted to study the roles of ICTs in management of agricultural knowledge. It then examined the status and use of ICTs in Agricultural Knowledge Management, evaluated the provision of Agricultural Information and knowledge and, identified constraints of ICT use for agricultural knowledge management in selected FTCs. The subject (unit) of analysis is in this research were various stakeholders engaged in agricultural knowledge management ranging from experts from BoARD, WoARD, DAs and farmers. Respondents were selected using both Purposive and 10 % random sampling technique. The research followed a mixed method of research. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from primary and secondary sources. Data was analyzed in both qualitative and quantitative ways. Simple statistical tools like percentage, frequency, and ranking were used to analyze data of quantitative in nature. Besides Categorization, narrative analysis, classification and comparisons made for analyzing qualitative data. Based on the result of the study the major tools to acquire agricultural knowledge and information and knowledge was identified were mobile phone, traditional ICTs like TV and radio. Besides mechanism to disseminate agricultural information and knowledge were through person to persons, using ICT tools Like TV. The use of internet is negligible in the process of disseminating agricultural knowledge in research area. The finding of the research also reveals that the use ICT tools are largely used for three purposes: For data storage, data processing and as sharing/communication tools. By and large ICTs helped farmers to acquire information and knowledge in various farm practices and new technique of agricultural production. Indigenous agricultural knowledge is poorly managed and mostly lacked ICT support. Besides, the research indicates that the majority of FTCs do not have an internet connection. Unavailability and inappropriateness of the existing agricultural information and knowledge sources, irrelevance and not timely of agricultural information and knowledge, lack of ICT tools, lack of electric power, absence of support from wereda and regional bureau, lack of skill to use ICT tools and institutional challenges were the major constraints. However, despite prevailing problems traditional ICTs played roles in each FTCs. Generally, before the establishment of ICT projects, rapid rural appraisals should be done to assess the type of information most in demand and concerned bodies should provide network infrastructure. Furthermore, Government should reorient its policies in order to harness ICTs potential for contributing agricultural knowledge management and agricultural development. Besides all stake holders need to be strive to equip FTCs /knowledge centers/ with appropriate ICT tools and provide training for its personnel. Key words: 102p. Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/1164 2018-03-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/3350 AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS OF TANQA ABERGELLE WEREDA, CENTRAL ZONE OF TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA Brhane, Gebru; Mammo, Dr. Yared; Aregawi, Dr. Teferie The purpose of this research is to reveal the agricultural information need and seeking behavior of the Abergelle woreda smallholder farmers. In this information era, smallholder farmers’ information needs change with their geographical location, economic, demographic, psychological and institutional factors. Till now to the level of the author’s knowledge no study has been done on the topic in the study area yet, therefore, conducting a research on identifying information need, analyzing the information seeking behaviour and identifying determinant factors for information seeking behaviour underline its importance. From the 19 rural kebeles of the woreda 5 kebele were randomly selected. The sample size was specified based on Yamane (1967) formula and 152 household head were selected by using simple random sampling technique proportion to their population size from the sampled kebele. The study has used both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data were collected through household survey and focus group discussion. Additionally, secondary data were collected by reviewing published and unpublished materials. To analyze information needs and information seeking behavior of the smallholder farmers, frequency distribution and interpretive analysis were employed. Chi-square test and ANOVA were used to check the significance relationship of dependent and independent variables. To identify determinants of information seeking behavior the study used ordered logit model. The analysis was carried out by stata version 12.1. The finding revealed that farmers’ information needs were dissimilar like information on: how to keep their crop and animal health, agronomic practice, rainfall forecasting and market information. Smallholder farmers prefer to seek information from, farmer, agricultural professionals, health extension worker, radio, mobile-phone, agricultural knowledge fair and administrative bodies. The main challenges for meeting agricultural information needs were: shortage of infrastructure, shortage of money for purchase of ICT martial and service fee, lack of interest, low clarity in information packaging, inadequate users’ skill and knowledge. Information seeking behavior of farmers’ was determined positively and significant by radio, mobile, extension contact, participating in agricultural training, social participation, distance from the nearest market and farmers’ perception. However, livestock holding was negatively and significantly influenced. In conclusion, farmers’ information needs are dissimilar that changes over time and the work she/he engaged. Farmers use multiple sources of information as no one source is sufficient in itself. The information seeking behavior of the smallholder farmers were grouped in to low (21.7%), medium (54.61%) and high (23.68%) level. And determined by: ICT ownership, extension contact, training, social participation and perception. Based on the results, the study has recommended that: to make flexible the information provision systems: to strengthen the linkage among stockholders: to give care in information packaging: promoting and giving training on ICTs how to use for information searching: enhance rural power supplying: use socially organizations as a means of information dissemination techniques and to strengthen the existing rural institution by supplying relevant information. 94p. Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/3350 2016-10-01T00:00:00Z