Abstract:
Households differ in their level of agricultural market information seeking behaviour via mobile
phone. Such diversity among households could relate to various economic, situational, social,
personal, psychological, institutional factors. Understanding reasons behind such diversity and
households current level of information seeking behaviour is ultimate importance. The objectives
of this study were to examine the status of household agricultural market information seeking
behaviour, to identify determinants of household agricultural market information seeking
behaviour and to identify the major constraints of households agricultural market information
seeking behaviour via mobile phone. Out of 33 kebeles of Haramaya district, four kebeles were
selected purposively. Simple random sampling technique (lottery method) was used to select 150
sample households. Primary data were collected from the respondents through interview
schedules, focus group discussion and key informant interviews. Secondary data were collected
by reviewing relevant materials. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistical
tools; Statistical tests (chi-square, and ANOVA) and ordered logit model were used to assess
differences and to make estimated prediction of factors behind agricultural market information
seeking behaviour via mobile phone. The levels of respondents’ agricultural market information
seeking behavior were analyzed by using mean and standard deviation of the score from
different sources. The finding of the study shows that majority of sample respondent fall into the
medium category of information seeking behaviour level. Household agricultural market
information seeking behaviour was positively and significantly affected by year of schooling,
participation in agricultural training, land holding, Perception on information sources, mobile
phone using experience while, cost of information, family size, extension contact, distance to
nearest market, livestock holding affects negatively and significantly. The constraints that hold
back households from having appropriate agricultural market information seeking behaviour via
mobile phone were lack of basic mobile phone know how, farmer lack awareness, language
understanding problem and difficult for recharge the phone for searching agricultural market
information purpose. The study recommends that, policy and development interventions in the
study area should give emphasis to the improvement household agricultural market information
seeking behaviour via mobile phone, which would ultimately helpful to inform information
service providers on what strategies to adopt for agricultural market information dissemination
by applying relevant information
