Factors Affecting Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Cereal Marketing in Dembecha Woreda, West Gojjam zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Timely access to market information would increasingly enable smallholder farmers to make timely, reliable, realistic and viable decisions. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play an important role in this regard. This study was intended to assess factors affecting use of information and communication technologies for cereal marketing in Dembecha woreda. Random sample of 150 households were selected from four purposively selected kebeles. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and binary logistic regression model were used for analyzing the data. Among the 150 sample respondents, 101 (67.3%) were ICTs users while 49 (32.7%) were not. Eleven variables were included in the model of which six variables were found significant at less than 5 percent probability level. Years of education, total annual income, distance from nearest electric power source, participating in training, solar power use and credit use were found to be significant variables influencing use of ICTs for cereal marketing. Lack of availability of electricity power, cost of mobile phone (cards, charging), lack of knowledge and skill for operating mobile phone applications were the major challenges to use mobile phone. The announced prices were not offered in local markets and high battery cost was the major challenges to use radio. Increased access to affordable power sources such as solar power and increased access to inexpensive ICTs were some opportunities for ICTs use. It could be concluded that the more farmers are educated and trained coupled with higher income, nearer to electric power source, solar power and credit user, the better the tendency to use ICTs for cereal marketing. Therefore, it is recommended that, rural electric service should be established which will definitely boost ICT investment in rural areas. There is also a need to ensure that efforts are concentrated more on renewable energy sources like solar power because they are relatively cheap and sustainable