Accessibility and Relevance of Extension Methods and Information and Communication Technologies among Farmers in Mauritius (Published)
The study aims to address the accessibility and relevance of different extension methods and information and communications technology (ICT) tools among farmers in Mauritius. A quota sample of 100 farmers was interviewed across the four extension zones of the island. The most efficient extension methods of farmers were firstly visits by extension officers (25.2%), followed by phone calls (19.8%) and video films (13.1%). The respondents claimed that training, short message service (sms), exhibitions and mass media were useful in providing beneficial information to them. Mobile phones were the main ICT device used by farmers (65%) to retrieve agricultural information. The access of smartphone (p= 0.009) and computer (p=0.001) was significantly associated with income rate. ICT needs to be integrated to agriculture to improve the livelihood of farmers. Extension methods such as visits, training and exhibitions should be intensified to allow accessibility to useful information. These extension methods should be reinforced to enhance agricultural productivity.
Keywords: Agricultural Productivity, Agricultural information, Extension methods, ICT tools