Extent of adoption of mobile phone applications by smallholder dairy farmers in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

In Kenya, smartphones are readily available at lower cost than before, allowing farmers to access agricultural information through mobile applications. However, despite increased ownership of smartphones and the availability of mobile applications, the overall usage of mobile applications is still low. This research aimed to assess the factors that determine the adoption of mobile phone applications among smallholder dairy farmers in Tharaka Nithi County of Kenya. A multistage stratified sampling procedure was used to interview 427 farmers. A Double Hurdle approach was employed to analyze the drivers of decision and extent of adoption of mobile applications. The study revealed that 51% of the respondents used mobile applications to access agricultural information. The decision to use a mobile phone application was influenced by the sex of the household head, age and level of education, distance to the market center, farming (as the primary occupation), access to credit, channels of access to information, farmer’s perception on the cost and ease of use of the mobile application. Subsequently, farm size and the various channels through which farmers access information about the applications positively influenced the number of mobile applications used. This study recommends strengthening the existing extension pathways to disseminate more information regarding the use of mobile applications among smallholder farmers. Supporting public-private partnerships will be crucial in increasing the utilization of mobile phone applications.