FACTORS AFFECTING THE USE OF MOBILE PHONE BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN VEGETABLE MARKETING: THE CASE OF FOGERA DISTRICT OF SOUTH GONDAR ZONE, AMHARA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study was intended to identify the factors influencing use of mobile phone in vegetable marketing in Fogera district. Use of mobile phone in vegetable marketing and factors influencing mobile phone use were specific objectives of the study. Three kebeles from Fogera district were selected purposively based on their vegetable production potential. Simple random sampling technique (lottery method) was used to select 153 vegetable producer farmers. Interview schedule and key informants interview were used to collect primary data. For analyzing the data, descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage, two independent t-test and chi-square were used. Furthermore, econometric analysis (binary logistic model) was used to assess the factors influencing mobile phone use for vegetable market information. Contingency coefficient and variance inflation factor were used to check multicollinearity problems between the independent variables. Of 153 respondents, 82 (61.72%) were mobile phone users while 71 (38.28 %) were mobile phone nonusers. Moreover, the main use of mobile phone in vegetable marketing include for communicating at a distance to save time and minimizing transport costs, for getting vegetable marketing price information, for identifying markets and buyers to sell the vegetable, for deciding when to sell the vegetable, for negotiating with buyers for better vegetable prices and for searching of fast market to avoid from losing of product through perishing. The model result indicated that the level of education, size of land, income, access to credit and age were significant variables affecting use of mobile phone in vegetable marketing. It could be recommended that encouraging adult education or giving training for farmers on how to operate mobile phone and create awareness for the elder rural farmers as they are able to use the mobile phone for their vegetable marketing. Moreover, farmers should aware about mobile phone is very important for those who owned very small land to get maximum return from their production. Lastly providing access to credit and improve and diversifying income sources for the farmers to have mobile phone were recommended to improve the livelihood of farmers.