Impact of smartphone use on fruit and vegetable growers’ access to agricultural information in rural Tanzania: A case study of Kibaha district

Abstract

The use of new technologies in accessing agricultural information has been shown to bring about a great revolution in agriculture. The use of different information and communication technology devices simplifies the flow of information in different forms by supporting farmers in making better decisions that automatically increase production and food security. This study aims to explore how the use of smartphones helps fruit and vegetable farmers in rural areas of Tanzania obtain agricultural information. The study used a semi-structured interview, key informant interview, and observation methods to collect potential information from respondents. The study revealed that fruit and vegetable farmers use smartphones to communicate with agricultural experts, potential agricultural stakeholders, and consumers using social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. Smartphones help farmers receive and share agricultural information, ensuring accurate and timely information. Smartphones help farmers to share information on weather, input, pest/diseases, and market information through images, sounds, videos, and normal texts. Nevertheless, the increasing tendency of misinformation due to unreliable sources is a threat to using smartphones to access agricultural information. The study highlights the importance of ensuring that information accessed by farmers is from reliable sources and that conducive infrastructure and support are provided to enable more farmers to adopt and use smartphones to access agricultural information.