Mobile phone use is associated with higher smallholder agricultural productivity in Tanzania, East Africa

Abstract

Mobile phone use is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa, spurring a growing focus on mobile phones as tools to increase agricultural yields and incomes on smallholder farms. However, the research to date on this topic is mixed, with studies finding both positive and neutral associations between phones and yields. In this paper we examine perceptions about the impacts of mobile phones on agricultural productivity, and the relationships between mobile phone use and agricultural yield. We do so by fitting multilevel statistical models to data from farmer-phone owners (n = 179) in 4 rural communities in Tanzania, controlling for site and demographic factors. Results show a positive association between mobile phone use for agricultural activities and reported maize yields. Further, many farmers report that mobile phone use increases agricultural profits (67% of respondents) and decreases the costs (50%) and time investments (47%) of farming. Our findings suggest that there are opportunities to target policy interventions at increasing phone use for agricultural activities in ways that facilitate access to timely, actionable information to support farmer decision making.

More robust local governance suggests positive effects of long‐term community conservation

“…The dominant resident or long‐residing ethnic groups (Hehe, Bena, Kinga, Sangu, Pimbwe) in both treatment and control sites are largely agriculturalists settled in village or sub‐village clusters, with livestock and central‐place grazing integrated at varying degrees. In‐migration of pastoralists (Maasai, Barabaig) and agro‐pastoralists (Sukuma, Gogo) to the sites is ongoing, with settlement patterns and grazing strategies of these groups being generally more dispersed around village settlements (Quandt et al, 2020; Salerno, 2016), though all residents retain rights to participation in the village assembly. Table S1 shows the within‐village ethnic and livelihood variation present in the sample, along with years of in‐migrant arrival, in each village.…”

MAGITS: A Mobile-based Information Sharing Framework for Integrating Intelligent Transport System in Agro-Goods e-Commerce in Developing Countries

“…In the ASC, the enabling environment and features provided by mobile phones assure services such as seamless linking of farmers to buyers or markets, the provisioning of inputs for farming, and the formal and informal exchange of agricultural information and recommendations [21], [9], [22], [10]. Many existing ICT initiatives focus on market, pest and disease, weather, soil, financial, insurance, and technical advisory information [11].…”

“…Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 34% smartphone connection in 2017. It is estimated to reach 67% by 2025 [9]. Some of the fueling factors are lower cost of Internet, cheaper devices, and increasing realization of the service provided by smartphones over the regular phone.…”

“…This increased penetration of mobile phones, especially smartphones as sensors, has changed the way businesses and services are conducted globally. The ubiquity, power, and versatility of smartphone platforms have become valuable data generators in commerce, transport [2], financial services, agriculture [9], and infotainment.…”

“…Also, the paper identifies and analyzes the stakeholders and needs based on their roles in the system. The study further addresses the technological challenges in the limited access and use of transport information for farmers identified in [10]; and removing missing information to link farmers and other stakeholders, information barriers caused by intermediaries in ASC, identified in [9], [11]. The framework will not cover the internal warehousing operations with assumptions to be handled by Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).…”