Analysis of Mobile Phone Technology Usage in Farmer Situation: The Case of Sodo Zuria District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Nation Nationalities and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia
Michael Heliso, Sundaraa Rajan
Citation : Michael Heliso, Sundaraa Rajan, Analysis of Mobile Phone Technology Usage in Farmer Situation: The Case of Sodo Zuria District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Nation Nationalities and Peoples' Region, EthiopiaInternational Journal of Research Studies in Biosciences. 2018, 7(1) : 1-7.
Any analysis on mobile phone technology usage has been given due emphasis on the understanding of the context within the people , the potential assets endowed among the people, the strategies followed by them in the face of existing policies and institutions, and livelihood outcomes that were intended to be achieved. The sustainability of livelihood in farming households is not yet a fully achieved agenda in developing Countries like Ethiopia. Most of the farming households in Soddo Zuria District in Wolaita Zone remain vulnerable to various man-made and natural shocks due to the fact that Soddo Zuria district was declared by the government as one of food insecure districts at national level. These facts initiated the researcher to conduct this research in the district under discussion. Having the general objective of analyzing the present scenario of mobile phone technology usage in farming HHs in the study area as mobile phone technology users and non-users that was analyzed through three specific objectives viz.to assess the current status of mobile phone usage by farmers in the study area, to find out factors that influence mobile phone usage of farmers in the study area, and find out the current alternative usage to mobile technology in the study area.120 household heads were selected from three different kebles in Sodo Zuriaworedabased on availability of electricity and basic ICT infrastructure. The samples were selected by PPS through simple random sampling method and the quantitative data were collected by using semi-structured interview schedule while the qualitative data were collected by using a check-list for Focus Group Discussions and Personal Interviews. The quantitative data analysis was done by application of descriptive and inferential statistics and the significance of every explanatory variable upon the dependent variable was tested by binominal logit model. Out of the 19 independent variables used in this study the following independent variables affected the livelihood strategies adopted by the sample units in different probability levels (less than 1%,5% and 10%).They were: age of household, the family size, farm size, mobile phone use training, annual Income of HHs, cost of mobile, achievement motivation and information seeking behavior. Therefore, the study calls for provision of stable services by mobile telecommunications service providers, regular electric power supply, training of the farmers by extension agents and agricultural development agencies as well as formation of agricultural societies by the farmers.