Abstract:

The article focuses on leveraging Information Communication Technology (ICT) for crop marketing in the Northern Province of Zambia. Government’s investment in the use of ICT is often inspired by its potential to realise benefits in trade innovations. Recent developments in the field of global information flow have led to a renewed interest in the study of ICT. However, few writers have been able to draw on any systematic research into how ICT is leveraged particularly for crop marketing in Northern Province of Zambia. Both primary and secondary data were collected. The total sample size was 290 while total population was 7,840, for the three districts and six camps under study.

The findings revealed that there are various challenges that stand as impediments towards successful reaping of the fruits of ICT in crop marketing. Some of these include high cost of units and bundles which usually expire when not utilised within a specified period of time, lack of electricity and frequent power outages. Subsequently, the study concludes that most of the farmers and crop traders lacked awareness of various ICT applications accessible through mobile phones or internet such as Zoom, Face Book and WhatsApp including their potential contribution to crop marketing. The study recommends the need to build crop marketing capabilities by training farmers, traders and agricultural extension workers in ICT usage for them to tap into opportunities found therein and as a necessary strategy for expansion of crop marketing in Zambia.

References:

[1].   Aaker, D.A. (2015), Strategic Market Management, 7^th Ed., John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken.

[2].   Adégbidi, A.B. (2012). Impact of ICTs use on access to markets of pineapple smallholder farmers in Benin, Journal of Research in International Business and Management, 2 (9), 240-247.

[3].   Agu, M.N. (2013). Application of ICT in agricultural sector: Women’s perspective. International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering, 2(6), 58-60.

[4].   Aker, J.C., Ksoll, C. (2016). Can mobile phones improve agricultural outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Niger. Food Policy. 2016; 60: 44–51.

[5].   Aleke, B., Ojiako, U. and Wainwright, D.W. (2010). ICTs adoption in developing countries: perspectives from small-scale agribusinesses, Journal of Enterprise Information, Management, 24 (1), 68-84.

[6].   Bentley, J., Van Mele, P., Okry, F., Zossou, E. (2014). Videos that speak for themselves: when non-extensionists show agricultural videos to large audiences. Development in Practice. 24(7): 921–929.

[7].   CSO (2018). Report for census of population and housing. Central Statistics Office: Lusaka.

[8].   Fu, X., Akter, S. (2016). The impact of mobile phone technology on agricultural extension services delivery: Evidence from India. The Journal of Development Studies. 52(11); 1561–1576.

[9].   Haider, F. (2014). More Farmers Listen, More They Adopt: Role of Local Radio Agricultural Programs in Small Scale Farm Extension, International Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Research, 2 (3), 20-27.

[10].  Hudson, H.E., Leclair, M., Pelletier, B., Sullivan, B. (2017). Using radio and interactive ICTs to improve food security among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Telecommunications Policy. 41(7–8): 670–684.

[11].  Kimenyi, M.S. and Moyo, N. (2011). Leapfrogging Development through Technology Adoption. In Foresight Africa. The Continent’s Greatest Challenges and Opportunities for 2011, Africa Growth Initiative. The Brookings Institutions.

[12].  Larochelle, C., Alwang, J., Travis, E., Barrera, V.H., Dominguez, Andrade, J.M. (2019). Did you really get the message? Using text reminders to stimulate adoption of agricultural technologies. The Journal of Development Studies. 55(4): 548–564.

[13].  Lee, K.H. and Bellemare, M.F. (2013). Look who's talking: the impacts of the intra house hold allocation of mobile phones on agricultural prices. The Journal of Development Studies, 49 (5), 624-640.

1. Musa, N.S., Githeko, J.M. and El-siddig, K. (2012). The adoption and use of ICTS by small scale farmers in Gezira State, Sudan, Research Application Summary, 625 – 633.

[14].  Mwakaje, A..G (2010): Information and Communication Technology for Rural Farmers Market Access in Tanzania. Journal of Information Technology Impact; Vol. 10, No. 2; pp. 111-128.

[15].  Mwenzwa, E.M. and Misati, J.A. (2014). Kenya’s Social Development Proposals and Challenges: Review of Kenya Vision 2030 First Medium-Term Plan, 2008-2012. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 4 (1), 246-253.

[16].  Nakasone, E. and Torero M. (2016) A text message away: ICTs as a tool to improve food security. Agricultural Economics. 47(S1): 49–59.

[17].  Oluoch, J. and Osida, J. (2015). ICTS and Technological Development in Advancing Tea Research in Kenya, Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary, 3 (2), 96-106.

[18].  Permadi, R. (2017). The Analysis of Factors Affecting Farmers' Accessibility. Towards Markets and Its Relation to Farmers' Bargaining Position. Journal Management & Agribusiness, 15 (1): 73-82.

[19].  Phiri, J. and Bala, M. (2020). Analysis of ICT on Crop Marketing in Zambia: Problems and Prospect. Texila International Journal of Management, 6(1), 58-66.

[20].  Salahuddin, M. and Kamarul, A. (2016): Role of ICTs in Agriculture/Rural Development and Governance in Taiwan: A Report on Study Visit, Published by Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, Comilla, Bangladesh.

[21].  Singh M, Bhanotra A., Wani, S.A., et al. (2016). Mobile Phone Technology-An Eminent ICT Tool for Better Family Farming Mobile Phone Technology- An Eminent ICT Tool for Better Family Farming. In: Family Farming and Rural development. 287-291.

[22].  Wyche, S. and Steinfield, C. (2015), Why Don't Farmers Use Cell Phones to Access Market Prices? Technology Affordances and Barriers to Market Information Services Adoption in Rural Kenya. Information Technology for Development, pp.1-14.

Yimer, M., (2015). The Role of ICT for Good Governance and Agricultural Development in Ethiopia: Local Evidence from Southern Ethiopia. International Journal of Political Science and Development, 3(1), pp.30-39.