Assessment of Use of Information and Communication Technologies among Farmers in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed use of Information and Communication Technologies among farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. Data were collected from a sample of 80 respondents using interview schedule/questionnaire. Frequency, percentage, mean scores and standard deviation were used for data analysis. Majority of the respondents were males (70%) and married (82.5%). A greater percentage (98.8%) of the respondents was using radio, about 96% were using television and 91.2% used mobile phones, among others. Benefits of ICTs as indicated by the respondents include obtaining information on weather forecast (M=2.0), increasing access to markets (M=1.8), obtaining information on best time to plant given weather conditions (M=1.8), obtaining information on best time to harvest given weather conditions (M=1.7), ensuring effective communication with fellow farmers and extension agents (M=1.7), providing information on weather, pests and diseases outbreak (M=1.7), etc. The study recommends adequate provision of rural infrastructure such as electricity by three tiers of government (federal, state and local) to enhance use of ICTs like mobile phones, television, computer, Internet, etc for access to agricultural information for optimum productivity.