An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana
The rapid growth of mobile phones in Ghana has opened up the possibility of delivering timely and useful weather and market information to farmers at costs lower than traditional agricultural extension services. In this paper, we assess the usefulness, constraints, and factors likely to influence fa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Springer
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81123 |
| _version_ | 1855534842847952896 |
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| author | Etwire, Prince M. Buah, Saaka S.J. Ouédraogo, Mathieu Zougmoré, Robert B. Partey, Samuel T. Martey, Edward Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril Bayala, Jules |
| author_browse | Bayala, Jules Buah, Saaka S.J. Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril Etwire, Prince M. Martey, Edward Ouédraogo, Mathieu Partey, Samuel T. Zougmoré, Robert B. |
| author_facet | Etwire, Prince M. Buah, Saaka S.J. Ouédraogo, Mathieu Zougmoré, Robert B. Partey, Samuel T. Martey, Edward Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril Bayala, Jules |
| author_sort | Etwire, Prince M. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The rapid growth of mobile phones in Ghana has opened up the possibility of delivering timely and useful weather and market information to farmers at costs lower than traditional agricultural extension services. In this paper, we assess the usefulness, constraints, and factors likely to influence farmers’ decisions to patronize mobile phone-based weather and market information.
Methods
We rely on primary data from 310 farmers in the Upper West Region, an understudied part of Ghana. We subject the data to three types of analysis. First, we model farmers’ decision to patronize mobile phone-based weather and market information by estimating a binary logit model. Second, we use descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing to analyse the level of usefulness of mobile phone-based weather and market information. We disaggregate the analysis by sex, income status, and age group. Finally, we use qualitative analysis to summarize the constraints associated with the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information.
Results
We find that contact with agricultural extension agents and farmer-to-farmer extension services significantly influences farmers’ decision to patronize mobile phone-based weather and market information. Regardless of sex, income status, and age group, farmers generally rate mobile phone-based weather and market information as very useful. We identify inexact information, complex text messages, information that are too costly to implement, and poor infrastructure as the constraints to the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information.
Conclusion
In order to improve the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information, disseminators of mobile phone-based information such as Esoko should constantly update and provide client-specific information. Improvements in mobile phone networks and related services will enhance the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace81123 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Springer |
| publisherStr | Springer |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace811232025-02-19T13:42:41Z An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana Etwire, Prince M. Buah, Saaka S.J. Ouédraogo, Mathieu Zougmoré, Robert B. Partey, Samuel T. Martey, Edward Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril Bayala, Jules climate change agriculture food security agricultural extension weather market information The rapid growth of mobile phones in Ghana has opened up the possibility of delivering timely and useful weather and market information to farmers at costs lower than traditional agricultural extension services. In this paper, we assess the usefulness, constraints, and factors likely to influence farmers’ decisions to patronize mobile phone-based weather and market information. Methods We rely on primary data from 310 farmers in the Upper West Region, an understudied part of Ghana. We subject the data to three types of analysis. First, we model farmers’ decision to patronize mobile phone-based weather and market information by estimating a binary logit model. Second, we use descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing to analyse the level of usefulness of mobile phone-based weather and market information. We disaggregate the analysis by sex, income status, and age group. Finally, we use qualitative analysis to summarize the constraints associated with the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information. Results We find that contact with agricultural extension agents and farmer-to-farmer extension services significantly influences farmers’ decision to patronize mobile phone-based weather and market information. Regardless of sex, income status, and age group, farmers generally rate mobile phone-based weather and market information as very useful. We identify inexact information, complex text messages, information that are too costly to implement, and poor infrastructure as the constraints to the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information. Conclusion In order to improve the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information, disseminators of mobile phone-based information such as Esoko should constantly update and provide client-specific information. Improvements in mobile phone networks and related services will enhance the utilization of mobile phone-based weather and market information. 2017-12 2017-05-17T13:26:57Z 2017-05-17T13:26:57Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81123 en Open Access Springer Etwire PM, Buah S , Ouédraogo M, Zougmoré R , Partey ST , Martey E , Dayamba SD, Bayala J. 2017. An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Agriculture & Food Security 6(1):8-16. |
| spellingShingle | climate change agriculture food security agricultural extension weather market information Etwire, Prince M. Buah, Saaka S.J. Ouédraogo, Mathieu Zougmoré, Robert B. Partey, Samuel T. Martey, Edward Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril Bayala, Jules An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana |
| title | An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana |
| title_full | An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana |
| title_fullStr | An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana |
| title_short | An assessment of mobile phone-based dissemination of weather and market information in the Upper West Region of Ghana |
| title_sort | assessment of mobile phone based dissemination of weather and market information in the upper west region of ghana |
| topic | climate change agriculture food security agricultural extension weather market information |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/81123 |
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