The use of ICT in small-scale farming: a case of primary food production in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Information Communication Technologies (ICT) have been recognised globally as a beneficial set of technologies that can be used to develop agriculture, especially in small-scale farming systems. ICT helps small-scale farmers by facilitating relevant agricultural information, which assists farmers to make sensible decisions. The study aimed to achieve the following objectives a) review agricultural mobile applications available to small-scale primary food producers and evaluates their user experiences more broadly in a peri- urban town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, namely, Stellenbosch; b) to evaluate the use of ICT tools and social media applications in small-scale farming. The review of the agricultural mobile applications was conducted on the search databases which include Cab abstracts, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science. A semi- structured questionnaire survey was utilised to conduct face-to-face interviews with small-scale farmers in Stellenbosch. The interviews (n=18) were conducted to understand farmers’ user experience and to explore the opportunities and challenges agricultural mobile apps present in small-scale farming. The survey was also used to evaluate ICT tools used by small-scale farmers in Stellenbosch. Descriptive statistics and multiple response analyses was used to analyse quantitative data in STATISTICA version 24. Thematic analyses and descriptive statistics were utilised in Atlas.ti version 24 to analyse the qualitative data. Findings revealed that farmers are aware of existing agriculture apps (55.6%) but usage of agricultural mobile applications in Stellenbosch is low (22.2%). Farmers faced several challenges in utilising agricultural mobile applications. Farmers found agriculture mobile apps challenging to use, due to unfamiliarity with the apps, and thus finding them time-consuming to navigate. Despite the low uptake, small-scale farmers in Stellenbosch who did make use of agriculture mobile apps were observed found to use ICT tools and social media applications extensively. Results from the thematic analysis demonstrated that ICTs and social media applications were used for advertisement of farm produce, communication, and obtaining agricultural information. Regarding the findings of the study, it can be concluded that small-scale farmers require education and training in the use of agricultural mobile applications, which could assist them in primary food production. Furthermore, small-scale farmers could be supported by monthly mobile data subsidies to increase use of ICT tools and social media applications in food production. Where ICT use may facilitate improvements in food production, they may offer one approach to addressing food security in Stellenbosch and further afield.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inligting Kommunikasie Tegnologieë (IKT) word wêreldwyd erken as 'n voordelige stel tegnologieë wat gebruik kan word om landbou te ontwikkel, veral in kleinskaalse boerderystelsels. IKT help kleinskaalse boere deur relevante landbou-inligting te fasiliteer, wat boere help om sinvolle besluite te neem. Die studie het ten doel gehad om die volgende doelwitte te bereik: a) hersiening van landbou-mobiele toepassings wat beskikbaar is vir kleinskaalse primêre voedselprodusente en breëngerige gebruikerservaring in 'n peri-urbane dorp in die Wes-Kaapprovinsie van Suid-Afrika, naamlik Stellenbosch, te evalueer; b) om die gebruik van IKT- hulpmiddels en sosiale media-toepassings in kleinskaalse boerdery te evalueer. Die hersiening van die landbou-mobiele toepassings is uitgevoer op soekdatabasisse wat Cab abstracts, Scopus en ISI Web of Science insluit. 'n Semi-gestruktureerde vraelysopname is gebruik om persoonlike onderhoude met kleinskaalse boere in Stellenbosch te voer. Die onderhoude (n=18) is uitgevoer om boere se gebruikerservaring te verstaan en om die geleenthede en uitdagings wat landbou-mobiele toepassings in kleinskaalse boerdery bied, te ondersoek. Die opname is ook gebruik om IKT-hulpmiddels wat deur kleinskaalse boere in Stellenbosch gebruik word, te evalueer. Beskrywende statistiek en meervoudige responsontledings is gebruik om kwantitatiewe data te analiseer. Tematiese analise en beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om kwalitatiewe data te analiseer. Bevindinge het getoon dat boere bewus is van bestaande landbou-toepassings, maar die gebruik van landbou-mobiele toepassings in Stellenbosch is laag. Boere het verskeie uitdagings ondervind om landbou-mobiele toepassings te gebruik. Boere het landbou-mobiele toepassings as uitdagend ervaar om te gebruik weens onbekendheid met die toepassings en dit het dus tydrowend geword om daarin te navigeer. Ten spyte van die lae aanneming het kleinskaalse boere in Stellenbosch wat wel van landbou-mobiele toepassings gebruik gemaak het, waargeneem dat hulle IKT-hulpmiddels en sosiale media-toepassings wyd gebruik het. Resultate van die tematiese analise het getoon dat IKT's en sosiale media-toepassings gebruik word vir die advertering van plaasprodukte, kommunikasie en die verkryging van landbou-inligting. Met betrekking tot die bevindinge van die studie kan daar afgelei word dat kleinskaalse boere opvoeding en opleiding benodig in die gebruik van landbou-mobiele toepassings, wat hulle kan help met primêre voedselproduksie. Verder kan kleinskaalse boere ondersteun word deur maandelikse mobiele data-toelaes om die gebruik van IKT-hulpmiddels en sosiale media-toepassings in voedselproduksie te verhoog. Waar IKT-gebruik verbeteringe in voedselproduksie mag fasiliteer, kan dit 'n benadering bied om voedselsekuriteit in Stellenbosch en verder weg aan te spreek.

Masters