Factors influencing the intensity of use of ICT tools by youth along agricultural value chains: Evidence from Busia County, Kenya

P.N. Katunyo, D.J. Otieno, W. Oluoch-Kosura and J.J. Okello

No 277370, 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia from International Association of Agricultural Economists

Abstract: Focus on youth has considerably increased in the developing countries, especially within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in recent times. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is one of the rapidly developing sectors in the developing world, with the young generation being presently engaged in use of new technologies. The ICTs are beneficial in agriculture, but there is less evidence of their use for agricultural purposes particularly by the youth. The desire to change the face of agriculture for youth to find it appealing has seen the need to assess the relevance of youth participation in agriculture and integration of ICTs into the sector as a solution to youth migration and unemployment. This study analyzed the determinants of ICT usage in agricultural value chains among rural youth in Busia County, Kenya. A total of 213 young farmers were randomly selected and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and Poisson regression model were applied in data analysis. Findings showed youth participation using ICTs was concentrated at the marketing level of the agricultural chain activities. Age, marital status, transport cost, distance to market, land size and extension services were significant in explaining the intensity of use of ICTs for agriculture. Key Words: Youth, ICTs, Agricultural value chains, Western Kenya Acknowledgement : We thank the ValueSec project for providing funding that facilitated successful completion of this study.

Keywords: Research; and; Development/Tech; Change/Emerging; Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-07
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:iaae18:277370

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.277370

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