ICT Adoption and Adoption Intensity among Tomato Farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Access to timely, accurate, and relevant agricultural information is essential for improving productivity and decision-making among smallholder farmers. However, conventional extension systems in Kenya continue to face challenges related to limited coverage, inadequate staffing, and resource constraints. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including mobile phones, internet-based platforms, social media applications, and SMS-based advisory services, offer alternative channels for delivering agricultural information and advisory services to farmers. Despite their potential, the adoption and effective utilization of ICT-based agricultural advisory services remain uneven among smallholder farmers. This study examined the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing both the adoption and adoption intensity of ICT-based agricultural advisory services among 384 smallholder tomato farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and respondents were selected through a multistage sampling procedure to ensure representative coverage of major tomato-producing wards in the county. A sequential modelling approach was adopted, using a Probit model to analyse the binary decision to adopt ICT-based advisory services and a Poisson regression model to examine adoption intensity, measured as the number of ICT-based agricultural advisory functions utilized by a farmer. The findings indicate that extension contact frequency and access to agricultural credit were positively associated with both ICT adoption and adoption intensity. Farmer group membership significantly increased the likelihood of ICT adoption, while household education positively influenced the intensity of ICT use. Conversely, larger tomato farm sizes were associated with lower adoption intensity. The results underscore the importance of human capital, institutional support, and financial inclusion in promoting meaningful engagement with digital agricultural advisory services. The study recommends strengthening farmer education and digital literacy initiatives, integrating ICTs into existing extension systems, improving access to agricultural credit, and promoting farmer group participation to enhance both the adoption and effective utilization of ICT-based agricultural advisory services. By jointly examining adoption and adoption intensity, the study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital agricultural extension and provides evidence to inform the design of inclusive and sustainable ICT-enabled advisory systems for smallholder horticultural farmers.