USE OF MOBILE PHONE IN PRODUCTION AND MARKET INFORMATION AMONG AGRO-PASTORALISTS IN AWBARE DISTRICT, SOMALI REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study intended to assess the use of mobile phone in production and market information among agro-pastoralists in Awbare district, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. The specific objectives were to assess mobile phone use by agro-pastoralists, to identify factors that determine use of mobile phone and to assess the challenges and opportunities of mobile phone use by agro-pastoralists in production and market information in the study area. Purposive sampling technique was used to select six kebeles while simple random sampling technique was used to select 150 agro pastoralists. Questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion were used to collect data for the study. Descriptive statistics including frequency and percentage and binary logistic regression model were used for analyzing the data. Contingency coefficient and variance inflation factor were used to check multicollinearity problems between the independent variables. Among the 150 respondents, 93 (62.0 %) were mobile phone users while the remaining 57 (38 %) were mobile phone non-users. The model result indicated that education, family size, mobile phone use training, mobile phone ownership, access to mobile phone, attitude towards mobile phone and government commitment were significant determinants affecting use of mobile phone in production and market information. It could be concluded that increase in year of education, family size, trainings, ownership of mobile phone and access to mobile phone, attitude about mobile phone and commitment of the government all have a positive contribution for mobile phone use in production and market information among agro-pastoralists. Therefore, the study recommends providing adult education and trainings to assist resource sharing culture, having access to mobile phone and improving their information sharing culture and feelings by constructing infrastructures and providing them with services is important