Determinants of ICT use by rice farmers in Benin: from the perception of ICT characteristics to the adoption of the technology

Abstract

Farmers’ access to market remains very poor in so that farmers do not succeed to well negotiate commodity or input price on the market. The use of ICT tools in transaction process can help farmers improve their skills in marketing process. However, many factors determine the use of ICT for farming purposes. This study oriented toward rice farmers in Benin aims to identify these factors. The results are obtained from econometric modelling such as Logit, Probit and Poisson regressions. The evidence from rice producers in Benin gave a set of factors that included farmers’ characteristics and physical environment in which they worked. The perception they had about ICT tools led them to the kind of choice they made and the intensity of ICT tools in use. These factors were seen as some facilities that should be enhanced to allow farmers to access and use ICT tools in agricultural production.