ANALYSIS OF FARMERS' USE OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN CASSAVA PRODUCTION IN OSUN STATE

Abstract

This study examined the use of Digital Communication Tools (DCTs) among cassava farmers in Osun State, Nigeria, with emphasis on socioeconomic characteristics, access to agricultural information, innovation adoption, and constraints. A multistage sampling approach was used selecting 280 respondents, averaging 51±12.45 years in age. Most were male (64.2%) and married (57.1%), with a mean household size of 8±2.03 and 93.4% cultivating small farms (≤5 hectares). Their mean annual income was ₦354,724.27±101,012.25. WhatsApp (259.1) and Facebook (235.1) emerged as widely accessed DCTs, supporting production activities. DCTs usage was low among 50.8% of respondents, while 55.0% faced high constraints, primarily due to the high cost of internet subscriptions (136.7), high cost of DCTs devices (124.1), and limited internet access (115.9). Factors such as marital status (χ² = 67.101), age (r = -0.245), years of experience, and cooperative membership (χ² = 0.226) significantly influenced DCTs use. Recommendations included, providing affordable internet access, implementing DCTs skills training, and strengthening cooperative networks to support adoption and enhance productivity.