Digital Economy: ICT Framework for Farming Information Dissemination and Management in DRC By IJISRT

Abstract

The agricultural sector is increasingly becoming both knowledge-intensive and techno-intensive. Generally speaking, agriculture sector is dynamic, farmers actively seek timely, accurate and relevant information to keep up with daily challenges. These challenges will significantly grow as a result of climate change that causes changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather events including, more frequent droughts and floods. ICTs has been instrumental for information broadcasting to farmers. Policy makers, extension practitioners, scholars and development agencies including, NGOs are advocating ICTs as a tool to foster smallholder farmers productivity, efficiency and performance through information including, new variety of seeds, fertilizer, livestock breeds, emerging diseases, vaccines, farming technologies, use of pesticides as well as market information. In addition, they enable large hub of know-how and sharing opportunity between agriculturalists, investors and entrepreneurs. Most African countries are essentially agrarian economies and agriculture turns out to be livelihoods of hundreds of millions households as well as a key driver of the economic development. However, most farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo – especially smallholder farmers – perform below their potential. Many governments and scholars have developed innovative solutions related agricultural practice. The challenge is to enable information dissemination by large numbers of smallholder farmers. The study aims to propose a framework and policies for farmers to share information through ICTs. It used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The case study design is applied where empirical data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, documents analysis, and group discussions with farmer groups. Based on the research objectives, it was discovered that ICT policies is quasi-inexistent in agricultural sector. The government provides no agricultural information to farmers. In terms of ICT access, 36% of farmers own a telephone. 58% use basic feature phone while 42% of the respondents use smartphone. 66% of farmers would like to be provided information by a mobile phone. 63 % of farmers would prefer to have information in video format while 34 % in audio format. 95% of respondent strongly agree that ICT can improve their farming condition.