Information and communication technologies’ (ICTs) use among farmers in Qena Governorate of Upper Egypt

Abstract

PurposeThe key purpose of this study is to investigate the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among farmers in Qena Governorate of Upper Egypt farmers' use of ICTs in Qena Governorate, one of Upper Egypt's largest agricultural governorates.Design/methodology/approachA semi-structured questionnaire survey, as well as some personal interviews, was used to collect detailed information about farmers' use or non-use of ICTs. The study's participants included 131 farmers.FindingsRespondents were mostly males who were married and had an average level of education and age. The majority of respondents had 26–30 years of work experience. The majority of them used ICTs for 4–6 h per day. All respondents used ICTs to learn about new agricultural products, increase land productivity, gather market information and learn about livestock. Mobile phones, social media and the internet were identified as the most useful and simple-to-use technologies by all respondents. Illiteracy, a lack of knowledge and awareness and the cost of CITs were discovered to have an impact on respondents' use of information.Originality/valueThe significance of this study stems from the hotly debated topic of the need to use technology tools in agriculture, whether for agricultural work or communication with others. ICTs provide a variety of new ways to communicate and exchange information and knowledge.