Search results

The purpose of this study was to examine socio-demographic factors influencing the use of mobile phones in accessing rice information on climate change adaptation by rain-fed farmers in Tanzania with reference to Morogoro region.

A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 400 randomly selected rain-fed rice farmers owning mobile phones. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for data collection in eight selected wards in two districts of Kilombero and Kilosa districts in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

The findings of the study showed that the use of mobile phones to access rice information on climate change adaptation was statistically significantly influenced by respondents’ sex, age, education level, marital status, farm size, farming experience, radio ownership and off-farm incomes. Furthermore, the use of mobile phones in accessing rice information on climate change adaptation among the study districts was not statistically significant.

This paper provides practical recommendations on how to improve accessibility of rice information through mobile phones on climate change adaptation. Implementation of information delivery system to farmers using mobile phones without ascertaining farmers’ socio-demographic characteristics leads to resource underutilization.

The paper provides appropriate knowledge that is needed in improving access to information through mobile phones by Tanzanian farmers and in other communities in developing countries with the aid of the additional theoretical moderators of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology as the research findings suggest. Moderators’ variables have high influence on farmers’ use of mobile phones on accessing rice information on climate change adaptation.

The purpose of this paper is to assess sources of agricultural information used by farmers for climate change adaptation in the semi arid areas of Tanzania.

Mixed quantitative and qualitative methods were deployed. Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 100 farmers in three selected wards in Chamwino district in Tanzania. Focus groups were also used to collect qualitative data from 30 farmers in the same wards.

The results showed that the major sources of information for farmers were predominantly local (neighbours and friends), followed by public extension services. Apart from radio and cell phones, advanced technologies (i.e. internet and e‐mail) and printed materials were not used in the study area, despite their existence in the communities.

The study necessitates a need to conduct regular studies on preferred information source of agricultural information and knowledge, development of technologies and use multiple sources of knowledge and information (such as print and mass media) to deliver relevant information to farmers to enable them to adapt to climate change.

The study provides a deep understanding of sources of agricultural information used by farmers in the semi arid area, which necessitates a need for demand‐led and client‐based information services, in order to meet the disparate farmers' needs in this regime of climate change. These findings can serve as an example for the increasing use of mixed quantitative and qualitative in information research.