Factors Influencing the Use of Social Media to Access Market Information among Small-Scale Chicken Farmers in Arusha City, Tanzania

Abstract

The study determined the level of use and factors influencing the use of social media to access market information among Small-Scale Chicken Farmers (SSCFs) in Arusha City. Data were collected from 260 SSCFs between June and August 2022 through interviews with key informants and a questionnaire. The data were descriptively analyzed to determine the level of use of social media. In addition, a binary logistic regression model was used to determine the factors influencing the use of social media in accessing market information. The study found that SSCFs had a high level of use (more than 16 times monthly) of WhatsApp as compared to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube (all at less than 16 times monthly). Furthermore, the study identified the following factors as influencing the SSCFs use of social media to access market information: the perceived usefulness, extrinsic motivation, job-fit, attitude, relative advantage and outcome expectations, perceived ease of use, and complexity. Others include social factors and innovative image, perceived behavioural control, facilitating conditions and compatibility, and ownership of smartphone. The study revealed that perceived usefulness, extrinsic motivation, job-fit, attitude, relative advantage and outcome expectations, perceived ease of use and complexity, social factors, innovative image, and ownership of smartphone have a positive influence on the use of social media among SSCFs. Conversely, perceived behavioural control, facilitating conditions, and compatibility have a negative influence on the use of social media among SSCFs to access market information in the study area. The study recommends that the government should create a supportive environment to ensure that factors that have a positive influence on the use of social media platforms to access market information among SSCFs are maintained. Moreover, facilitating conditions, as factors with negative influence on the use of social media to access market information, need to be improved to enable SSCFs to use social media.