Socioeconomic drivers of mobile phone adoption for marketing among smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa

Lack of access to markets occasioned by missing market information has constrained market participation among smallholder farmers in developing countries. Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have helped in connecting rural farmers through mobile phone to market sources. This study investigated the adoption of mobile phone for marketing of agricultural produce among Qamata Irrigation Scheme (QIS) smallholder farmers in South Africa and the determinants of adoption. Two stage random sampling technique was used to interview 97 smallholder farmers employing a semi-structured questionnaire. Data generated was analysed using descriptive statistics and probit regression model. Analysis result shows that 71% of the smallholder farmers currently use mobile phone for agricultural marketing. Majority of the respondents (55%) used mobile phone to market their produce among relatives and neighbours. Probit regression result indicates that gender, social grant as main income source, private traders and local market marketing channel, monthly income, political and economic factors influence mobile phone adoption in agricultural marketing. Hence, we recommend mobile phone as marketing tool among smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa. Concerted efforts should be made to address erratic network and high airtime tariff challenges to encourage mobile phone adoption in marketing among smallholder farmers in the country