INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) INITIATIVES AND FACTORS AFFECTING ITS ADOPTION: A CASE OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN RURAL MALAWI.

Photo 1. A Smallholder farmers' groundnuts field with maize next to it in Dowa.

We are living in a digital world where information travels across boundaries at a speed of light. ICT refers to forms of technology that are used to transmit, process, store, create, display, share or exchange information by electronic means. Here in Malawi number of sectors are now enjoy using information and communication technologies in their operations of day today activities. These sectors include; education, security, industrial and Tourism sectors and agricultural sector inclusive. ICTs plays important role in agricultural sector by ensuring that there is easily access and sharing of information related to agriculture. Radio and mobile phones are the most available and most used ICT devices among smallholder farmers (Sennugas S. O. et al., 2020).

Photo 2. Shows a mobile phone breaking language and geographical barriers.

ICT INITIATIVES IN MALAWI IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE SECTOR 

With focus on agriculture sector, there are different initiatives aiming at improving farmers’ productivity through use of ICTs. These initiatives include: National Agriculture Information System, M’chikumbe 212 and the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) allowing farmers to access and share agricultural related information to improve productivity.                                                                                                                            National Agriculture Information System is an initiative set by Ministry of Agriculture aiming at enhancing accessibility to agricultural information for farmers, extension workers and other stakeholders, disseminate agricultural knowledge and best practices to a wider audience and facilitate market prices and demand through use of ICTs. This initiative is highlighted in the Malawi ICT and Digital Policy roadmap 2022-2026. This policy emphasizes the dissemination of agricultural information to famers like weather forecast, market prices, crop management techniques and best farming practices.

Another initiative is M’chikumbe 212; this is a mobile agriculture services offered by Airtel Malawi whose most users are ordinary famers, but extension services also benefit. This mobile based service manages to reach farmers with agricultural related information such as marketing and advisory services by dialling 212. Thus the mobile phones offer smallholder access to information on available and reliable markets and prevailing markets prices hence resolving of market failure. 

Photo 3. Is an advert from Airtel Malawi encouraging farmers to register on Mchikumbe 212.

Last initiative is the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM); this is farmer’s organisation that use ICTs to reach out to farmers with agricultural related and timely information aiming at improving productivity and farming business. According to NASFAM post on 27 May 2022, when its officials realized that there is a gap in disseminating agricultural information to farmers in timely manner, they made a decision to collaborate with Technical Centre for Agricultural and Cooperation (CTA) and the Green Climate Fund (through government of Malawi and UNDP) to implement two projects aiming at reaching farmers with weather advisory information through mobile phone text messages since 2018. This initiative benefit farmer in such a way that, they are able to decide which crop and crop variety to grow depending on seasonal weather forecast. Apart from mobile messaging, NASFAM also use different media outlets such print, radio programing (both national and community radio stations) and short videos all in local languages so that can be understood by farmers of both education levels.

Photo 4. Sample messages sent by NASFAM to its members with support from the UNDP.

FACTORS AFFECTING ADOPTION OF ICTS AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS.

Despite all these initiatives that help famers in their agricultural activities to increase productivity, adoption of ICTs among smallholder farmers is still low more especially in rural areas. This is because they experience a lot of limiting factors in adoption and application of these ICTs and its services. Such factors include: limited access to ICT infrastructures, cost of ICTs access tools, Digital literacy and skills gap and language and content barriers.

First factor is limited access to ICT infrastructures, Smallholder farmers in rural areas of Malawi lack access to basic ICT infrastructure such as internet connectivity and electricity. In these areas there is absence of reliable infrastructures preventing smallholder farmers from using ICT tools and platforms effectively.

Photo 5. Is a network tower one of the scarce ICT infrastructure in rural areas.

Another factor is cost of ICT access devices; the costs of purchasing and maintaining ICT devices and services is a significant barrier to adoption and use of ICTs among Smallholder farmers as they have limited financial resources. The expenses of affording ICT devices such as smartphone, computer and internet data is quiet expensive as compared to their financial status. This hinders them from accessing and using ICT tools and services.

Photo 6. Is a computer one of the expensive ICT device.

Next factor is digital literacy and skills gap; rural Smallholder farmers lack knowledge and skills in using ICTs. Most of them are unfamiliar with operating digital services and accessing relevant information Online. This lack of digital literacy skills hinders Smallholder farmers from adopting and using ICTs effectively.

Language and Content format is last factor limiting Smallholder farmers from using ICTs and its services. Agricultural information and Content on platforms that require ICT tools such as social media and the internet are presented mostly in English language and are more scientific in nature that can not be understood by local farmers whose education level is low. This hinders them from using ICTs effectively and get the intended message.

Since ICT play important role in agriculture such as market linkages and sharing Agricultural information, there is a need to come up with strategies that can improve access to ICT devices and services and increase understanding of ICT message. For example, since we are in digital world where most agriculture messages are scientific in nature, there is a need to increase science journalism and commutators who they can translate ICT messages from English, scientific to local languages that can be understood by local farmers even with low level of education thereby improving its adoption among Smallholder farmers. So, Ministry Agriculture should provide funding to institutions like Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) through department of Agriculture Education and Development Communication and LUANAR Radio Station where they teach and train science journalism and communication. Ministry of Information should also increase availability of network supply by bringing towers in remote rural areas and Ministry of Trade should also ensure that ICT devices are affordable by reducing purchase cost. These strategies will help rural Smallholder farmers to easily access and utilize ICT and its services effectively which will improve productivity and standards of living.