Smallholder Farmer Access to ICTs and Digital Content: Experiences from Uganda

Abstract

The agricultural sector is the largest employer in Uganda, and it remains essential to secure the livelihood of the Ugandan population. According to a report by Price Water House Coopers, 37% of Uganda’s GDP is dependent on the agricultural sector. Likewise, according to the Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) 2019/20, the highest percentage of the working population (68.1 percent) work in the agriculture sector and taking the largest share in employment (47 percent). Despite the advancement in Information Communication Technology, the majority of small-holder farmers have limited access and usage of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). The limited access and usage of ICTs such as smart phones constrain farmers in access to information, extension services, quality markets, among others, resulting into sub-optimal productivity and income. Studies continue to show that the use of ICTs in agriculture has been linked to farmers’ enhancement in decision making, access to quality markets, improved price determination, enhanced farm level decision making and access to quality inputs, among others. The use of ICTs enables farmers to make informed decisions, supports adoption of new innovations and improvement of farmers entrepreneurs’ abilities. This study focused on establishing the extent of farmers usage of digital platforms to acquire knowledge in the five regions of Uganda (Eastern, Western, Central, Northern, Rwenzori). The study adopted a mixed methods research approach which involved both qualitative (desk review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions) and quantitative (surveys) data collection methods.