E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya
The economy of Kenya depends mainly on agriculture where smallholder farming has a significant role as it employs 65 percent of the work force and contributes 32 percent of Kenya’s GDP. However, the agricultural industry in Kenya is currently facing difficulties in low productivity. The rural areas...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AcademicPres
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Agriculture |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/agriculture/article/view/14224 |
| _version_ | 1818435367802503168 |
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| author | Daisy Mbucu IRERI Mzee AWUOR James OGALO |
| author_facet | Daisy Mbucu IRERI Mzee AWUOR James OGALO |
| author_sort | Daisy Mbucu IRERI |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The economy of Kenya depends mainly on agriculture where smallholder farming has a significant role as it employs 65 percent of the work force and contributes 32 percent of Kenya’s GDP. However, the agricultural industry in Kenya is currently facing difficulties in low productivity. The rural areas have the largest concentration of poverty and food insecurity. Majority of the farming activities in Kenya are on small scale and the problems of these farmers are multifaceted including sub-divisions and small farm sizes, leading to diseconomies of scale and low productivity. The goal of this research was to develop and validate an E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers. Descriptive research design was used. The study was carried out in South Eastern Kenya. The target population comprised 224 meteorological staff, 421 agricultural extension officers, 208 ICT personnel and 3,833 farmers. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, observation and interviews and analyzed using SPSS. The study found that challenges faced farmers were cost, illiteracy and ICT skills among others. Further, the study established that farmers required specific information such as soil management, pest management etc., for mainly improving their productivity. The researcher proposed an e-agriculture framework for improving agricultural productivity through promoting innovative use of ICT tools to bridge the distance between the farmers and the research communities. The proposed e-framework could be used by government policy makers and stakeholders on ICT on agricultural services in other developing countries to implement policies that speeded up the use of ICT on agricultural information. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:51:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c998d5015b14f0ea1409cb64356dc2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1843-5246 1843-5386 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:51:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | AcademicPres |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c998d5015b14f0ea1409cb64356dc2e2022-12-21T22:54:03ZengAcademicPresBulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Agriculture1843-52461843-53862021-11-01782173310.15835/buasvmcn-agr:2021.000611594E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural KenyaDaisy Mbucu IRERI0Mzee AWUOR1James OGALO2School of Information Science and Technology, Kisii University, KisiiSchool of Information Science and Technology, Kisii University, KisiiSchool of Information Science and Technology, Kisii University, KisiiThe economy of Kenya depends mainly on agriculture where smallholder farming has a significant role as it employs 65 percent of the work force and contributes 32 percent of Kenya’s GDP. However, the agricultural industry in Kenya is currently facing difficulties in low productivity. The rural areas have the largest concentration of poverty and food insecurity. Majority of the farming activities in Kenya are on small scale and the problems of these farmers are multifaceted including sub-divisions and small farm sizes, leading to diseconomies of scale and low productivity. The goal of this research was to develop and validate an E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers. Descriptive research design was used. The study was carried out in South Eastern Kenya. The target population comprised 224 meteorological staff, 421 agricultural extension officers, 208 ICT personnel and 3,833 farmers. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, observation and interviews and analyzed using SPSS. The study found that challenges faced farmers were cost, illiteracy and ICT skills among others. Further, the study established that farmers required specific information such as soil management, pest management etc., for mainly improving their productivity. The researcher proposed an e-agriculture framework for improving agricultural productivity through promoting innovative use of ICT tools to bridge the distance between the farmers and the research communities. The proposed e-framework could be used by government policy makers and stakeholders on ICT on agricultural services in other developing countries to implement policies that speeded up the use of ICT on agricultural information.https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/agriculture/article/view/14224e-agriculture framework, agricultural productivity, smallholder farmers, rural kenya |
| spellingShingle | Daisy Mbucu IRERI Mzee AWUOR James OGALO E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Agriculture e-agriculture framework, agricultural productivity, smallholder farmers, rural kenya |
| title | E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya |
| title_full | E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya |
| title_fullStr | E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya |
| title_short | E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya |
| title_sort | e agriculture framework for improving agricultural productivity among the smallholder farmers in rural kenya |
| topic | e-agriculture framework, agricultural productivity, smallholder farmers, rural kenya |
| url | https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/agriculture/article/view/14224 |
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